A Dark Tower Reboot
by Gregg c
Summary: 19th time around the block for Roland and his journey... So i'm thinking as I finish the Dark Tower story poor bastard, surely Roland doesn't have to go back to the start- there must be a save point in his quest. Then it dawned on me- there was a save point- when he sat on the beach at the start of Drawing Of The Three! So what if Long ,tall and ugly took a different path..
1. Chapter 1: Death Comes To Arcadia Beach

_So many paths to choose..._

1.

The wind swirled around the two men as they pondered the chess board laid out before them. The younger man, by about 40 years, smiled at the white haired man across from him,as he moved his bishop diagonally into the other mans flanks, and then sat back to watch the bemused look on his friends face. His old friend frowned up at the man in the guns and roses t shirt,examining the pieces as the wind picked up and carried with it the panicked sounds drifting up from the beach. The sounds mingled in with the weird chimes warbling from the sky and the saw the busker was playing in the car park. The younger man turned, flicking the ash from his cigarette, concerned at the screams and cries above the buskers nasally rendition of Paradise City, and automatically went for the holster tucked inside his jeans.

The older man rubbed his chin, oblivious to the screaming from the beach, and smiled reaching out his fingers, old and bent with age, towards the roughly stone cut bishop. They trembled as they lifted the worn handcrafted chess piece, and moved it across the board, knocking several of the other pieces in the process. "I believe that's check…" he began. But before he could finish his statement he realized his younger friend was already on his feet and staring down the beach to where the blood curdling screams echoed up the promenade. He struggled to his own feet and reached out for his cane by the bench beside him, "No, you wait here Mr Dufresne, I got it!" The younger man said removing his chunky jacket, and made his way over to the breaker wall, his worn cowboy boots clunking against the pavement.

Mr Dufresne watched his friend lean over the wall and peer down to the beach as another scream filled his own ears. He stood up and clumsily knocked against the table, spilling the pieces onto the board table. He cursed and reached out for his cane again and began to stumble over to the wall. "Christs' sake Andy stay there , please!" his friend ordered, stubbing out his cigarette and swinging his leg over the wall, gesturing with a wave of his hand in Andy's direction. "what the hell are those things?"He cried as the creatures crawled from the breaking surf.

"Dale, what the hell is going on down there? Be careful!" the old man called across as his friend disappeared over the wall, down to the beach front. By the time Andy had stumbled over to the breaker wall overlooking the sea, he had heard more shouting and screaming coming from the beach…and what sounded like the warbling sounds of the buskers musical saw, only this was from high above.

"Dale!" Andy called out at the figures dispersing the beach like ants under a magnifying glass, but his eyes were poor and he had difficulty identifying the shadows from the people, who were now hysterical. The wind had picked up and was now kicking up the sand in a thick blanket at the point of all the commotion , sending people fleeing covering their eyes in panic. The seagulls were squealing above the horrendous noise now and swooping down on the frothy sea as it broke on the shore, depositing its filthy unearthly creatures upon the golden sands.

As Andy watched the madness unfold he squinted, turning his head up to the noise descending from the skies above, and gasped, "Dios nos ayude" as the warbling red mist fell upon the beach, caressing the ears of all who had the misfortune to hear,

_…I am the eater of worlds…_ it cackled gleefully as its warble reached the beach. Andy's wispy hair on his neck stood up as the static charge of the mist blew over him.

The sun worshipers fled the chaos of Arcadia beach to return to their parked cars in the car park, abandoning their beach towels and ice boxes, and in some cases – their sanity. Rows and rows of shiny new BMW's and imported Japanese models revved to life and wheel spun from the verges away from the mayhem. Speedy Parker, the blind busker, sat next to the ice cream van playing his saw halfway through his Guns 'n Roses tribute act, and stopped- turning towards the parked cars suddenly. In amongst the Ford pickups and the latest Takura spirit models was what resembled an old vintage Blue Buick. The buskers blind gaze fell upon one specific parked car…a familiar Buick with a Roadmaster crest emblazoned on its body work and realised that today was the day he had waited for.

The body work of the 1953 model was dazzling, pristine blue paintwork and fine polished chrome bumpers that seemed to absorb the light emanating from the beach. The only part of the Buick 8 looking out of place were the muddied Pennsylvanian plates,those and the throbbing light pouring out from inside the car. Pulses of tremendous purple light-quakes erupted from within the Buick's interior as the trunk door sprung open,unhinging fully and then bounced back on its metal mounts, revealing the gaping darkness. Speedy Parker, the blind musical saw player, quivered and stood up making sure as eggs was eggs not to be seen- then drank some of his magic juice from his flask.

Something stirred from within the trunk. Long taloned fingers clutched at the paneling, and with a laboured struggle it heaved itself from the confines of the tight trunk space out into the brave new world. The warbling sound continued as people scrambled around the Buick that was being absorbed in the dazzling light show that pulsed and hummed along with the screams from the beach.  
The gangling man in black slid awkwardly out from the trunk onto the hot bitumen ground, and rolled to his feet. He stretched away the many years and let out a howl of exaltation as he dusted his robes down and looked around at his new surroundings with wondering anticipation.

_Another Midworld_? _Another kingdom to fall? A_nd as his thoughts wandered to the fallen Gilead- he grinned with anticipation. He stood and waited for the carpark to empty then made his move promptly towards to golden sands that was Arcadia beach, and then waded majestically into the descending thinny. And disappeared. Speedy Parker tucked away his flask and readied himself for another turn of the wheel.

The Man in black fled across the deserted carpark, and the guns n' roses singer followed…


	2. Chapter 2: Cujo wakes

….the discordant Hawaiian jangle of the buskers saw is what woke Cujo, and as he lifted his weary head…Paradise City is not what greeted his bleary gaze…from his layabout under Speedy Parker's feet, the Camber's "good dog" felt the old familiar red rum rage rising as his dreams of chasing that furry bird across the meadow, were shattered by screams that raked his ears. He lifted his bearish head and the old wounded body followed, the healing gunshots drilling more pain into his already muddled/murderous brain…as he lumbered down the sandy defile, he could see creatures, that at first he thought were constructs of his disease, but as he drew closer, the mud bug scent made them real…between the warbling shrillness of a badly played saw, the throat cracking cries as limbs were pulled off ,as if from a cheap baby-doll and the lunatic bleats of "Dad-a-chik?", "Dum-a-Chum"? assaulted him-Cujo let any shreds of canine restraint slip away…and he became a killing machine again, as the Crimson fog slipped over his mind and his jaws slipped around the heads of the lobstrocities..

…."I do not kill with mind, I kill with my teeth"….


	3. Chapter 3:The Gunslinger Rises

Shall we wake him, the man on the rock?  
He sits there oblivious to the world as it moves on, the water lapping at his boots.  
Soon it will reach his fathers guns, the fine sandalwood grips worn down with the ages. Soon his cartridges will be useless to the fight.  
Soon the lobstrocities will handicap him in his quest for…for what?  
Why is he here?  
Has he not completed his quest already?  
Ahh, yes, it all makes sense now- I see him.  
Emerging through from the other side of the crimson thinny as it skims the worlds between- the Man in Black returns from the frothing waters, wading towards the sleeping man on the rock.

As he nears he sees something new, dangling in the water from the sleeping mans belt, The Horn Of The Eld.  
His eyes widenIng with pleasure- the sleeping man is learning.

"wake up Gunslinger!" the man in black says. "wake up before the world moves on!" he reaches down to the horn and begins to untie its bonds.

The Gunslinger moves fast, his hand (complete with five digits)already firmly around the Man in Blacks wrist,  
" …You forget the face of your father cully" he grumbles staring into the thiefs eyes.

"why Roland of Gilead, I was mearly going to blow it- seen as you have failed to do so, on so many occassions- shall we? The Man in Black smirks, still stooped over. The Gunslinger says nothing, only tightens his grip on the fools arm.

" Oh come on Roland, third time is the charm- only in yours its hmmm…19 I believe!" the Man in Black frowns counting invisible fingers in the air.

The Gunslinger reaches for his gun, but the laughing Man in Black is faster, and disappears in a flash, leaving Roland pointing his weapon into nothing but the advancing Crimson thinny. He stands up and backs out of the lapping water quickly as the familiar sound of the thinny approaches. But this is no ordinary thinny. This is unlike the thinny of Mejis, where so many harriers died. This thinny Roland can see clear through -clear as day. A window into another world, a world that is now moving on like so many others, and he can see the beach on the other side.

As Roland watches disbelieving, he sees four figures emerge through from the other side of the thinny, one of them- a huge dog, bounding over the waves as they barrel to the shore. The others are huddled together in the frothing sea, as they pass through the thinnie into the gunslingers world, Mid world.

Speedy Parker had followed the Man in Black to the shoreline, as the lobstrocities advanced on the remaining sun worshippers on the now bloody beach. The man from the chess game, Dale, had come to the rescue of the screaming kid, the one with the tennis racket still gripped tightly in her hand, what looked like her gnawed tennis racket fending off the large st Bernard that was frothing at the mouth. They had both being slowly corralled into the sea by the snarling dog as it snapped at the passing lobster beasts, as they continued their "whaddachum" chorus.  
"Get Away from me!" she screams, lashing out once more, the image of her dead brother on the beach etched on her face. The dead brother she was meant to be taking care off. The dead brother now being dined upon by the lobrstocities on the beach. Dale grabs around the teenagers waist, trying to calm the girl and softly whispers into her ear, "he cant get out this far, he wont get out this far!" he hopes, rather than knows. She eases off and allows him to take control as the rabid beast circles the waves Lashing the shore.

Speedy parker casually wades between the group, now waist deep in water, and made his way over to the barking, snarling dog and outstretched his hand containing his flask of magic juice,  
"Enough now boy, your job is done!" he said calmly, and poured the contents into his other cupped hand.  
Cujo's snarling eased as he closed in, still weary of the lobstrocities that passed them in the water. He sniffed Speedy's hand, then licked the blind mans palm clean of the magic juice, and seemed content in doing so. Cujos demeanor changes, and he seems to smile at the conjurers his tongue lolling from the frothing mouth. Speedy Parker smiled back and rubbed the mangy dogs head, then turned to the other two now treading water precariously near to the thinnys edge, as the lobstrocities gathered, " he's fine now, he will protect you!" He shouts over the ever increasing warbling.

"quickly Cujo, time is short- the worlds are moving on…you must go protect them!" Speedy Parker ordered as the dog instantly headed for Dale and the girl. Speedy Parker followed Cujo to the others in deeper water, as they all faded under the enveloping crimson thinny…and passed through and into The gunslingers world, Mid world.

The trio stumble through the crashing salty waves and Speedy Parker seems to look through the spray and raises a hand and gestures to the shore as he splashes from the rolling waves, "long days and pleasant nights, gunslinger"

The bemused gunslinger lowers his gun slightly and nods slightly bewildered at the sight of the three people wading ashore,"…and may you have twice the number, stranger!" he says, waiting for the group to reach the shingled beach. He notices the girl dressed in the strange zip up garment that hugs her figure tightly, her name emblazoned across her chest reads Bango Skank Surf. The man holding her up looks concerned as he scans the horizon for a familiar landmark. The other man, the old black man, looks pleased to see the gunslinger as he helps the other two unsteadily up the incline of the beach. The lumbering dog playfully trots along the beach shaking its shaggy coat dry as it sniffs Roland's scuffed boots, and slowly peers up at him, i kill with my teeth gunslinger! Cujo seems to proudly pant, with his tongue Lolling from the side of its mouth.

"i'm guessing so, dog!" the gunslinger agreed quietly, as Cujo bounded off sniffing the salty air. His ears pricked and he surveyed the forest -Something or someone is near by.

"…Are you Manni?" Roland turned and croaked, returning his pistol to its holster as Dale lets the girl collapse by his feet, exhausted. Speedy parker inhales a lungful of the sea air and arches his stiff back with a smile, watching the thinny shimmer and fade before them. "No sir, i aint no Manni, know a few of their tricks though i reckon, got me here so they did. Tell me – Did he lay by- the man in black i mean?" He asked with a smile.  
Roland made no reply, suggesting to speedy he'd rather not acknowledge. Instead they watch Cujo chase his tail as the thinny finally evaporates and blows away in the wind, like the fine spray of the waves crashing against the rocks.

From his hiding place,Pennywise grinned, licking his discolored teeth, sneaking a little further down the foliage. Above him Zoltan watched from the branches. "screw you!" it crows before it glides away down to the beach to dive bomb Cujo. "screw you, screw you!"

Roland turns to watch the Fat raven swoop down on the dog and curses," by the gods Zoltan- leave it be, he's likely to take your eyes if you are not careful!"

"We need to palaver Gunslinger, the worlds are moving on- and the size of it is- i'm not sure you can stand and fight alone Roland…The strands are coming undone too fast to repair, theirs not enough…"

Roland listened but said nothing- the size of it- that's what the man in black had said, its all about the size of it!  
his mind was elsewhere, deep in the palaver he had had with the Man in Black…Roland bent down and scooped up a fistful of the sand, and watched as it slowly sifted away through his grasp. He squeezed tighter, but still the millions of fine granules, infinite universes, slide through his fingers – just like the man in black had done once more …A single nexus…a tower joining all the worlds…all universes…size…  
.size gunslinger Size..Would you dare to climb to the top Gunslinger?..would you meet the godhead…

You dare not!


	4. Chapter 4: phantoms

The Gunslinger gazed into the mirage wafting from the sand sliding through his fingers, as the wind from the thinny blew across the beach. The others covered their eyes and squinted as the sand blew, but the Gunslinger watched as the apparition began to emerge from the remnants of the half buried speaking stones. The ancient old stones, where Roland had sat waiting looking out over the western sea, slowly exposed themselves as the sand swirled away. He stood up again and watched the manifestation take shape. more of walter's tricks mayhaps?

As he watches, the gunslinger sees the shimmering outline of the strange ghostly tavern emerge from over the sand dune, the worn sign above the cash register reads Manhattan Restaurant Of The Mind and Roland ponders for a moment, their was something very familiar about the name but it was clouded, like the sunshine outside.

A ghostly woman stands at the entrance of the tavern, smiles and nods outside," suns gonna be gone soon- looks like another one of those darn eclipses. please come in, Gunslinger, I am Selina"

The Gunslinger walks over to the dune and nods back, sensing something very worrying. The beach he had stood upon, was now gone. What sorcery is this he thought. Definitely more of Walter o dims vision no doubt. " Your sign Selina, where did you get it from?" he asks frowning down at the growling dog who had taken up residency by his side, deciding, for the moment, to play along with the entity- a demon elemental of old perhaps." quiet dog" he added, and Cujo flew high and circled, Squawking in fear. "screw you, screw you"

"my mother, she bought a bookstore from a man in New York, got a good price for the land too. She demolished the building and sent me some of his niknaks. You like it?" Selina asked, straightening her pinny- apparently still oblivious to the mess outside and plucked a leaf from the blooming flower in the vase on the counter.

Unaware of the apparition,Dale turns to Speedy Parker confused," what n' sam hill's hell is this place, and what just happened to the Arcadia beach front?" Speedy shook his head," seems like we all took a wander through the looking glass into somewhere i ain't never been too in a long while. Maybe long tall and ugly will know"

"who?" the girl in the surfers suit said panting, watching the darkness begin to fall on the beach.  
Speedy turned and pointed towards Roland, who had walked over the crest of the sand dune, still scratching his chin and talking into thin air to an unseen demon.

"oh, right. She said rubbing her cramped leg. Her thoughts quickly returned to her brother and she had to reach out for a rock to prevent herself from doubling over.

" the thinny brought us all together, and dropped us off here- where ever here is. But im not sure who or what he is talking too right now, he seems to have his own issues. Perhaps he conspires with the gods!" speedy mused.  
Dale looked around the beach, the forest seemed to wriggle with shadows- something was watching them. The tall man was ignoring them all -instead he talked to thin air and smiled pleasantly.

Roland was pondering his situation, certain that a moment ago he was watching the tide deposit three strangers before him. Now he found himself talking to a woman in a tavern, ordering up popkins as if he was celebrating rice picking on comalla day.

"please take a seat Gunslinger, rest your weary feet and watch the eclipse- you'll ne'er see another so darn pretty." Selina said, pulling a chair for the traveler. Roland continued with the ruse, still not fully getting the point of Walters treacherous ploy. He removed his hat and sat down, as the dog made his way under the table by his feet, and subdued the growl growing in his throat.

Selina grinned and turned from the Gunslinger, and reached over for the vase on the counter. The single rose stood in the water, radiant in its splendor Selina winced, and turned from it as she lowered it to Rolands gaze. He wondered at it – as she lowered it towards him, and was lost within its unearthly chants. Selina stroked Rolands chin as he stared mesmerized into the hypnotic petals, then straddled the Gunslinger. She unfastened his gun belt And unbuttoned his trousers, taking him in her hand until he was ready. Then she had him inside her and was thrusting and grinding on his lap. Roland was in a trance. The others watched on in shock, and disbelief. Speedy shouted at Cujo, who jumped at his command and clamped his frothing jaws around Selinas cold spectral wrist as she wriggled atop Roland, shrieking with pleasure. "Nooooooo…" she howled, as Roland awoke from the hypnotic trance,

"By the gods…. dog…" he growled and lifted his hand to cuff the beast, but then hesitated. Selina was screaming out like a banshee on his lap and fading from his vision. "let me go foul creature, let me go!" she screamed as the wispy veil dissipated and lifted from the ground. Selena became transparent, her screams demonic and evil.  
"stop your beast gunslinger, make him yield .." the succubus howled, as Cujo began to shake the entity. Zoltan swooped down and pecked for her eyes.

Roland's eyes widened as he realised what the demon was, she was the Demon sun, and unlike the Demon Moon she could manifest and cajole any unsuspecting traveler into whatever sordid service they wanted.

"be quiet demon, and tell me what you want of me, or I will order them to strike again!" Roland ordered, as the others on the beach watched on bemused at the sight of the abused gunslinger struggling with himself, and the animals freaking out.

Cujo held on tight to the demon as she struggled and begged, but the dog was fierce- and tore into the demons entity, as Zoltan swooped again and again. " T'was the clowns doing….the Crimson kings clown…..he wants you gone from mid world!" she screamed as Cujos teeth sank deeper into her darkened soul.

"Pennywise?" the gunslinger asked in shock." is it Pennywise? demon…speak, for your fathers sake demon."

Selina broke free and lifted high into the air shrieking with pleasure, " gunslingerrrrrrrr, hear me well for when The clown returns with others like me, and rips your soul from your husk of a body, I will bear your child."

And with that the tavern faded away, as Selina faded into the dusk of the eclipse. Roland turned to the others, who were looking on bemused at the sight of the flustered stumbling gunslinger fastening his gun belt looking worried, " on me….for your fathers sake…on me now." he looked into the forest and grimaced as he stumbled backwards over the dune, to the shrieks of the laughing demon "we must leave this place now, before the sun completely fades from view, dog heel now!" They all turned in panic, and followed Roland along the beach as Zoltan lead the way.


	5. Chapter 5: Doors

Dale watched the girl double up again as she caught her breath on the beach, cramping up again himself. "What the hell are we running from anyway?" he gasped as Speedy Parker pulled on Rolands arm. Roland stopped and stared back down the shoreline of the western sea, to see Cujo sniffing the air and baring his teeth towards the forest. "Not here, this is not the time for chin jawing, lets keep moving further up the beach" He said and called for Cujo with a finger whistle. Cujo turned, tongue lolling again, and barked- then ran off into the forest. Roland sighed, eyeing up the others and shaking his head and continued onward.

"Who the hell is this guy anyway, and why are we listening to him?" Dale said wiping the sweat forming on his brow. Roland turned with a sneer, "My name is Roland Deschain, son to Steven Deschain, who you are – I have no interest. What I do concern myself with is the one that calls herself Selina…and what she will bring with her when she returns. Now I suggest you get up from your knees and follow me onward if you want to survive. Either way, I care not" He turned and pulled his pistol from its holster and opened the chamber, discarding the wet shells from the gun and replacing them with the dry ones from around his belt.  
The girl looked up at the mention of the name and began fumbling with a homemade bracelet around her wrist,"Selina….my name is… was ..Selina…" she said quietly, turning the colorful mismatched letters on the beads around on the string. "…but..my father wanted to call me Gloria, they decided that Selina was just too…" she lowered her head as the silence engulfed her again. Speedy said nothing and followed after the angry Gunslinger, who was ignoring not just her now as he whistled for Cujo again.

"Hi Gloria, my name is Dale- listen we better get moving, or they are going to leave us behind, and I don't know about you but I don't want to be alone out here when the night does come." He smiled and picked her up from her knees, then stumbled against her. "sorry, sorry- my fault, can you walk?" he asked, concerned. Gloria smiled and stood up, "thank you dale, I'm okay…its just, my brother…I think he's dead…" she began to sob again, and Dale brought her into his grasp and held her tight. "Its okay, we'll find him- I'm sure he's okay" He lied. He had seen the mess on the beach that the creatures had left behind, the scattered limbs and the blood. He closed his eyes and patted the young woman as she sobbed, then finally got her moving again.

Cujo was frothing again, the smell of the greasepaint pungent in his nostrils as he entered the undergrowth. His teeth bared again as the growl grew in his throat, the saliva dripped from his gums onto the foliage by his paws as he slowly entered the darkness. Something stirred ahead, and Cujo slowly ventured further in. The smell was worse now, decaying vegetation and rotting flesh filled the air as the flies buzzed around Cujo's ears and up his nostrils. He barked once and stopped, his teeth now glistening and ready to attack whatever lurked in the bushes…

When Gloria and dale caught up with The Gunslinger and Speedy Parker they were standing next to a curious object planted on the beach. Only it wasn't exactly planted on the beach- more hovering above it.

"What the hell is it?" Dale asked the others, who were circling the perimeter of it. Speedy was first to answer him. "its bad joo joo- Roland stay away from it, it has no meaning anymore-You have no need of it now!"  
The Gunslinger turned to Speedy, then back to the object. "You say that as if you know what this is, are you sure you are not of the Manni folk stranger?"  
Speedy looked concerned for once, his cateritic blind eyes darted back and forward for an answer, but found none to give Roland.

"This looks very much like a conjurers door to me, but whose door and to where?" Roland quizzed circling the wooden door hinged in its doorway again.

Dale had joined Gloria next to the object as the barking echoed from further down the beach, and watched as Zoltan swooped down and perched on top of the wooded framework, "Beans beans the musical fruit…" it croaked, as it lent over and pecked at the insignia nailed to the top. "Look, up there- it says something…" Gloria pointed. Dale reached out and grabbed the rusted knob and gave it a curious turn, but it was locked. He looked up and wiped clean the plate and read the inscription,

THE UNREQUIRED

The Gunslinger stopped and gazed up at the plate, and then reached for the rusted knob, and turned the handle. "No gunslinger! you mustn't…this door is…it is no longer the path to take. Roland… this door was his doing, this door was Walter o' Dims doing…" Speedy pleaded. Roland hesitated for a moment, but turned the doorknob anyway. The squeaking hinges eased and the the heavy door began to give up its secret. They all stood in wonder for a moment as the door swung open, then the silence was broken by Gloria as she screamed in terror,

"OH no…not my brother,…please close the door….CLOSE THE DOOR NOW!"

The Gunslinger stared out from cold dead eyes into the scene of carnage, the view they all witnessed through the door was the image from the dying eyes of the boy who had found the bottle washed up on the beach. He was clutching a blood stained wrist bracelet he and his sister had just made that very day. Now he lay amongst his own dismembered torso bleeding out into the sand, as the lobstrocities fed upon his spilled innards. As the boy inhaled his last breath his fingers squeezed around the beads, the beads that spelled out the name,

EDDIEDEAN.

The Gunslinger didn't need to close the door, it done that itself, sending Zoltan away in fright. Speedy Parker didn't need to see- to know…Gloria was hysterical, her cries echoed with that of the howls of Cujo…

"OH No... NOT EDDIE!"


	6. Doors (cont)

They slowly walked on from the door on the beach, until the darkness made any progress difficult. Their had been no sign of Cujo since he pounced into the forest almost 5 miles back, only the howling and the occasional bark kept him in the minds of the group. Speedy Parker was no longer walking alongside the Gunslinger, he had gone off alone a good 100 meters ahead of everybody else, with only Zoltan for company. Dale held onto Gloria's hand as she navigated the sharp shingled beach in her bare feet- refusing the back carry several times. The terrain was rough, and the water cold. She had tried to walk along the surf as it broke onto the sand, but the water had quickly turned icy. And once or twice she was sure she had heard the "daddachum" shriek that sounded like the war cry of the beasts from her world, the world where her brother, Eddie dean lay dead.

That made two of them now, both brothers now dead, leaving her alone in the world to fend for herself. How sick the world was, all too quick to rectify its hold on anyone who defies or hoodwinks or, in her case, cheat deaths along the path. It was her older brother, Henry who had sacrificed his life to save her and Eddies many years ago, from a drink driver. It was Henry who had pushed them both out off the way of the drunk behind the wheel of the car, and sent them crashing into the safety of the garbage bins by the side of the road. Only Henry hadn't been so lucky. Death had seen his act of bravery, and rewarded him with a one way ticket through the windshield of the battered Buick as it seemed to swerve towards him and away from his two much younger screaming siblings.

Now it had finally caught up to Eddie and taken him in front of her eyes, and was no doubt scheming behind her back- working on her own demise even now. She held back another bout of sobs ready to burst from her throat and stamped her foot down hard on a rock to make the thoughts that were readying to pounce fade. Instead, what she got was a crack from her toes as she stubbed them against the jutting boulder.  
"for gods sake, I wish I had some shoes on- this place is really starting to piss me off Dale!" She spat out in fury.  
Dale winced at the sound of the crunching toes, and again asked her if she wanted him to lift her a little further down the beach.  
"na, its okay i'll manage a little further. Look I think the cowboy is stopping up ahead anyway. Dale looked up, as Gloria rested an arm on his shoulder and massaged her throbbing sole, and saw the Gunslinger in motioning for Speedy Parker to walk his way. "Mr Parker, I think he wants you to join him up ahead!" he shouted to the blind man. "I know son," speedy turned and replied," I may be blind, but I can see more than you lot think I can!" he chuckled and made his way over to Roland.

Roland was standing over the second door on the beach. Only this door was pushed over and half buried in the sand that was migrating toward the sea.  
"what do you make of this then, Mannie?" He said kicking the wooden framework with the toe of his boot. Speedy stopped next to Roland and knelt down in the sand drift, brushing of some of the sand covering the name plate. " I'm afraid we couldn't open this one – even if you wanted to Gunslinger." he Picked up the broken door knob and threw it to Roland, who picked it out of the air without thought.  
"what does it say Mannie- I cannot understand this word- it means nothing to me in my language?" The gunslinger asked rolling the rusted door knob in his palm and dropping it into his gunna sack slung by his side.

"I'm not sure myself, Dale- can you make it out- I cannot seem to grasp it yet" Speedy said sweeping away more of the sand pile. Dale let go off Gloria as she beckoned him on to the others. He stooped over Speedy and brought out his zippo lighter. Roland opened his eyes wide at the sight of the flickering flame dancing from the silver casing and reached over. "what sorcery is this, a flambo in a box, may I?" dale held the lighter out and the Gunslinger waved his fingers back and forward over the flame, cracking a smile. he noticed the etching on the front and queried Dale, " the etching, what does it mean?"  
Dale looked up and smiled, "its UN Peacekeeper Cyprus- I got it on tour a few years back" The gunslinger grinned back, "Peacekeeper, are you a Gunslinger?" Dale laughed and patted Speedy on the shoulder as he stood up from the fallen door. "A Gunslinger…yeh I suppose something like that. Why do you ask?"

Roland said nothing as he nodded to himself,the corner of his mouth raising as he pondered Dales response and then handed back Dales lighter."The plate on the door what does it say?" Gloria asked the others as she fell to the ground, kicking up a fan of the sand.

Gloria didn't need to wait for a response, she looked down and saw for herself,

Unrequited lover

Roland reached into his gunna sack and produced some jerky, "we'll camp here and wait for the dog. You can use the door for firewood Peacekeeper, while I scout the perimeter, use that flambo of yours." He threw each of the group a piece of the leathery meat, before ascending the slope and stepped into the forest.


	7. Chapter 7: tents

Roland came to an area over the hill and through the forest, where a campsite was setup. A small fire was still smoldering, and a pot of beans was cooling over it. The smell that blew Roland's way was wonderful, but the noises that erupted from inside the tent were far from such,"BUUUUUUUUUURRRRT' ' BEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRROOOOP"

A silhouetted shape stirs inside, then appears before Roland, under the shade of the branches,"Show yourself- move into the light!"

The Gunslinger demanded, raising one of the sandalwood revolvers and thumbing back the hammer with a dull click. The waxy door flaps of the little scout tent flew back and a smiling stooped figure emerged carrying a wooden spoon. "ah Roland, just in time…won't you join me. We have a lot to palaver about you and I…" the figure grinned a toothy grin and dipped the spoon into the boiling pan. Roland took a step back to steady himself, slightly confused at the sight before him, "Pennywise the foolish! My father banished you from his court decades ago, and yet you have changed little in those passing years. What sorcery is this jester?" The revolver was now joined by its twin, aimed firmly at the bulbous grinning head. Pennywise shifted and raised his hands mocking Roland with a surprised look on his painted face, before doubling over in fits of giggles. BEEEEERRRROOOPP he held a gloved hand to his face is horror, then burst out laughing again. BUUUUURTTTTTT another laugh, and another fart. Zoltan flapped its wings and joined in,"beans beans the musical fruit , the more you eat the more you…"

"Enough of this fool! why are you here!" Roland shouted,startling zoltan as he drew the second revolver and thumbed that hammer also,his patience cracking. Pennywise stopped and took a mouthful of the beans, dabbing the corner of his painted mouth with the ruffles on his sleeve." Oh lets just say a mutual friend wants us to chin jaw a little, sort things out before you continue on your quest"  
"My quest? what in the Gods name are you talking about jester?"  
Pennywise undid his yellow trench coat and sat down on the log by the fire, exposing the baggy clown pants and humorous red shoes on his feet. "Listen Gunslinger, our…mutual friend is concerned you are no longer walking in the direction of the beam. It seems you are being coerced into an alternate route, one that will only end in failure and disappointment Now what he wants to propose is a little helping hand to get you back on track, what do you say?" Pennywise smiled and licked the spoon innocently, pulling a wriggling hessian gunna sack away from the fire.  
Roland remained focused, trying to ascertain who the clown could be referring to. "This mutual friend, is it Walter O' DIM, is it the Man in Black? I Will have none of your sorcery Pennywise the Fool, tell me who has sent you?"  
Pennywise drummed his fingers on his knees, looking up to Old Mother twinkling in the sky, then raised a finger to his mouth and pursed his lips tight.

"Last warning jester"

"Roland, you are wandering from your path- I can get you back onto your rightful path, allow me…" Pennywise stood up and rolled his sleeves up as if to show the audience that he had nothing up them. Then he place his gloved hand into the wriggling gunna sack and pulled out an angry looking Billy Bumbler by its tail, "recognize this old friend Gunslinger?" Pennwise grinned as the foxy wriggling animal snapped its jaws at his hand. He yelped in amusement as the bumbler wriggled free and dropped to the ground, then darted for Roland. Roland looked on bemused as the shuffling creature stared up at him with sad eyes, "OY!" it cried lifting a paw as Roland pondered the silly looking fox. Pennywise looked on clapping his hands in glee as he watched the Gunslinger falter for a moment.

Something unsettled the foliage to the side of the tent and then crashed through into the campsite, spilling the boiling beans and sending Pennywise flying. The little bumbler turned to see Cujo bounding over the clown with its muzzle wide open and the foaming teeth exposed. The bumbler let out a yell and Roland fell back, rolling to the side as Cujo charged and sank its teeth deep into the neck of the creature, tossing it from side to side like a stuffed plaything. "OLAN!" it shrieked as Cujo tossed it aside, snapping its neck instantly. Cujo turned and positioned itself between the clown and the Gunslinger and began barking at Pennywise. Pennywise was wiping the beans from his yellow rain mac looking concerned, the bumbler lay still by the feet of the Gunslinger, who was already back on his feet and aiming his revolvers at the clowns head.  
"Get out of here Jester, before I banish you myself from these lands. And tell whoever it was who sent you… and that demon that calls herself Selina, that i swear by my fathers face- either of you ever you cross my path again- I will kill you. Do you understand me!"

Pennywise looked shocked at the Gunslinger as Cujo backed up to be by his side, then nodded with a whimper, "he wont be happy Gunslinger. He will send others, I suggest you get back on the path of the beam…open the doors Roland…open the doors!"

"GET OUT OF HERE FOOLISH ONE, LEAVE ME AND BEGONE!" The Gunslinger ordered, Pennywise hissed then ran off back into the darkness.

Roland looked down at Cujo then to the bloody mess that was the billy bumbler and kicked at the remains,"Good dog, who knows what witchcraft he was trying to release on us, come on" Roland turned, leaving the dead creature to Cujo. Cujo barked back and picked up his tasty kill, following Roland out of the campsite and headed toward the beach.

The dead bumbler bounced back and forth between Cujos jaws, its eyes glazing over as its lasts thoughts passed its mind- I 'ake….

go then, there are other worlds than these.


	8. Tents (cont)

Roland hesitated for a moment, holding out his hand palm up, as the heavens opened up and began to splash down on the brim of his hat. He lifted the collar of his jacket and closed up his gunna sack, turning to Cujo,"go back to the beach dog- i'll be along shortly" he ordered,but the dog just sat where he was and waited. "Go!" Roland waved with his hand, but the dog just turned its head, dropped the Bumbler,and barked once. Roland stood puzzled leaving the dog to his guard duties, then turned back to the empty camp site as the rain began to fall with more force.

Dale sheltered the fire, waiting for Gloria to return with more pieces of the fallen door they had smashed up, as the rain began to fall. Speed Parker was rummaging in his shoulder bag for something and whistling paradise city over to himself as Dale watched on. "So what the hell happened? what happened to Arcadia beach MrParker?" Speedy stopped whistling and pulled out his rain hat and slung it over his head, "Please, call me Speedy, Speedy Parker" Dale nodded turning his head to see Gloria with an armful of broken door panels under the shimmer of the moon."okay Speedy, what the hell happened to us, and what did you give the dog? A sedative? Prozac for mutts? Last thing I see is you arms raised like your parting the red sea, and them Whamo - beach is gone and we see Clint Eastwood standing there to great us on the shores of Jurassic park. And what the hell were those lobster things?"

Speedy nodded and smiled all the way through Dales question, then shook his head laughing," Dale, I reckon what we got ourselves into is another reality- oh ive seen this kinda thing before, so I have. But never quite like this. You see, some things we just ain't meant to understand- and some things we sure as hell shouldn't ask about. But what we got here is a mystery to even me. Seems the Gunslinger is musing whether or not to allow us to join his ka tet. He is a man with a heavy burden and…" Speedy was interrupted, "A Ka what?" Dale frowned.

Speedy smiled, " KA tet- its a merry band of followers from old, like Robin hood and Frair Tuck, know what I mean?" Dale nodded," you mean like Bonanza or Magnificent seven. Doesn't say much does he- does he know whats going on, I mean does he know how we get back?"

"No he doesn't say much, for a tormented soul, and no I don't reckon he does know how we get back to Arcadia. But I sure feel safer knowing he is around, Don't you?" Speedy winked his glassy eye. Dale said nothing as he poked the embers around trying to keep them alive, and felt for his holster on his belt tucked inside his sodden jeans. "you'll be wanting to clean that soon, maybe the Gunslinger can lend you his cleaning set- salty water is no good for the barrel now is it!" Speedy said without seeing Dales surprised face.

"i lost the pistol in the water before we…er came through" Dale sighed.

"Did you now" Speedy said, delving back inside his bag producing the browning pistol held between his thumb and forefinger," you'll want to take better care of your engines over here, too many bad guys with greedy paws!" He smiled and handed it over to Dale.

"….Okay, I really need to find a shop soon- my feet are getting cut to pieces on the shells on this damn beach!" Gloria interrupted, "and this rain is freezing too, Here I got you the rest of the wood from door, their the best i could do now that its raining. WHOA, is that a gun…you have a gun?" she said as Dale unclipped the magazine and slid back barrel to eject the round in the chamber.

"Thanks Gloria, yeh Speedy picked it up for me before we….before we came through!" dale said  
"Yeh about that- do you think we can get back Speedy, I have work tomorrow and I need to sort….I need to.." she was off again, the thoughts of her brother flooding her head as she bust out crying.

"What happened, what happened to us Dale? this is just so $hitty…and who is that man anyway, and why do we do what he says?" she sniffed again," why cant we just find a telephone and call the police, they'll come and take us back to the police station..and we can get dried…and call home..and.." more sniffing.  
Dale stood up and held her close again, feeling how cold she was, "Gloria, I don't think their are any police here, not how you imagine them anyway. I think that man, the Gunslinger is the police here. I think we are safe with him. I think he will take care of us until we can get to a town, or or a village. We just need to stay strong and get dry. Come over to the fire and sit by Speedy. Speedy…budge over a bit!" Dale said coaxing a sobbing Gloria over to the log that Speedy occupied.  
"That's it girl, you come sit next to old Speedy, here you can have my fine rain hat if you want!" Speedy smiled and helped her down next to him. Dale broke up the bits of the smashed door and tossed them onto the fire. The flames ate the wood up quickly, the smoke belching the toxic fume as the paint withered and blistered.

"I hate this $hitty beach, and I hate this $hitty weather, and I really hate not having my thongs…." Gloria sniffled, as Zoltans screetch filled the air.

Zoltans cry made them all turn to see Cujo swaggering down the slope of the beach with Roland behind him, with his arms full. He planted each stride of his boots deep into the sand and lent back to prevent himself from toppling over in the sliding shifting sands, then stopped by the fire, and dropped the equipment.

"you might want to use this tonight, I think the rain is set to purge for the night. A fine fine you have there peacekeeper." Roland said gazing into the fire, then he simply turned and walked over to a stump behind Speedy and Gloria and sat down, gazing into the fire. Dale lifted the bundle to see it was a tent, and a blackened cooking pot with a bent handle. He also saw two tins of beans roll from the material and quickly grabbed them before they escaped into the fire.

"where did you get these from?" Dale smiled. Roland said nothing, deep in the lasts words of Pennywise the fool. Gloria was still sobbing as the rain fell harder, and the Gunslinger looked up, "what is the matter, child?"  
"my feet hurt…and I miss my brother" she sniffed.  
Roland nodded but said no more. He lifted his drooping collar and opened his bag.

Dale was unpacking the tent and fighting with the waxy doors trying to stick the pole through the hole as the wind began to blow. Cujo has almost finished devouring the bumbler, but Zoltan was having a good attempt at stealing the golden eyes that stared out blankly towards the Gunslinger. Roland looked up but offered no help. Gloria eventually got up and stuck a rock inside the tents holding it steady as Dale tied the guy rope to another.

"Okay guys i reckon we can all get inside, Let me just get the beans open and set them on the fire." the rain was coming down hard as Gloria helped Speedy inside. Dale sat the pan on the embers and covered the simmering meal with the burnt lid. "are you getting inside..Mr..?" he had no name for him, but the gunslinger just waved a hand and lent back against the tree as the fire licked the pan by his feet. "Go, I'll watch your beans" he said, producing something from his gunna sack and placing it on his lap. Cujo curled beside Rolands legs as Zoltan took to a branch above them, "beans beans the musical…"  
"christ, does that bird not say anything else?" Dale cursed, before fumbling for the flaps to the tent.  
"Not recently!" Roland replied, ruffling Cujos soaked coat as he licked the blood from his own face. He picked up the broken name tag from the door and spun it over in his hands,

open the doors…and get back on the path of the beam, Gunslinger.

Roland sighed, tossing the wooden sign onto the fire and watched as the lettering was erased in a bubbling heat and then engulfed by the hungry fire…and then forgotten.


	9. Chapter 9: Pelts and shoes

Dale awoke early and poked his head through the waxy flaps of the tent to the aroma of something being cooked over the fire. The gunslinger nodded as he turned the meat on the stick. He had already filled the bean pan with fresh rain water from the stream, his own water pouch filled to the brim also. Hanging from the tree was the hide of the small creatures he'd skinned to make breakfast. His knife lay by the bumblers bony remains, it too had been skinned in the night, its pelt hanging from a branch.

Dale stretched as he emerged from the stink in the tent that their wet sweaty bodies had produced and began unfastening his jeans. He turned to Roland as he relieved himself on the tree, "Mornin, life for your crops- as my old pappie would said!" Roland nodded and turned back to the fire. Dale looked at the fire and removed his jeans- placing the damp fabric next to the flame. He made no attempt to hide the holster with the pistol, he just plonked it on the tree stump between the gunslinger and himself. Roland studied the crude dockers clutch and the weapon poking from it the turned to the peacekeeper, "have you cleaned your weapon since arriving peacekeeper?" Dale was removing his shirt and placing it next to his jeans," Not yet, Speedy says you might have a kit you could lend me"

"a lawman needs his weapon ready at all times peacekeeper, you should know that" Roland said still turning the stick. "yeh well I've been kinda busy lately, what with rabid dogs, and monsters from the deep and death…and forced marches. Kinda difficult to fit it in, know what I mean."

"…and eating beans" Roland replied,and stood walked over to his gunna sack and after a moment pulled out something wrapped in cloth. He walked over to Dale and handed him his cleaning kit and picked up Dales pistol. "May I?" Roland asked.  
"Sure, fill your boots!" Dale gestured unwrapping the lifted the weapon and admired it, "I have not seen one of these guns before, what do you call it peacekeeper?"  
Dale smiled,"that there is a browning 9mm handgun- my very own little peacekeeper- like it?"  
"it is a fine peace of weaponry- if its maintained. I wouldn't rely on your wet bullets now!" Roland said passing the gun back and forth between his hands, weighing the pistol.  
"the rounds are fine, water wont get through the casing to the primer, I just need to clean them up and dry out the magazine. what are you carrying, they look like WMDs to me!" Dale said pointing at the side arms slung on The gunslingers hips.  
"WMDEES- I don't know what that means. But these are my fathers pistols of the Eld- finest in Gilead . " Roland handed the gun back to Dale who cocked it and removed the magazine. Roland watched as Dale quickly dismantled the weapon on his knees and began wiping the parts down.  
"So…whats the score big guy. Where are we heading? Is there a town nearby? A local sheriffs office?"  
Roland picked the drying Bumbler hide from the branch and sat down next to Dale, lifting his knife from the shingle. He took out a roll of leather lacing from his gunna sack and cut it into two pieces.  
"No town, no law far as i am aware I am the last of the Gilead anyway. Where I am heading is of no concern to you or you're kin. neither can I direct you to a safe haven, for I do not recall ever passing one lately." he sighed as he slid the knife along the pelt again, " The world has moved on, and I seem to have been forgotten." Dale looked up and held out his empty hand,"Dale, Dale Barbra. folks called me…na Dale is fine!" the gunslinger looked at Dales outstretched hand and reached for it." Roland Deschain of days pleasant nights." Dale looked at him with a frown,"Yeh…long days and pheasant nights to you too Roland."

Roland grinned,"It is a greeting from my kin Dale, and the response is _may you have twice the number.,_Tell me the young girl…does she still grieve?" It was Dales turn to lower his head, "she was up most of the night sobbing, poor thing just saw her brother being dined on…and what was with the doorway Roland. What the hell did we open?"

"Maybe the Mannie…Speedy can help you with that one. It is as much a mystery to me, as it is you. The one we burn here may have had the answers but i doubt it. I fear more sorcery will follow me to the tower on my travels to come" Roland sighed running the lace through the Bumblers hide.

Dale sat in silence for a while as Roland continued to lace the hide, Cujo ambled the perimeter as Zoltan, quiet for once, watched from above.

"I am going for a walk Dale, to fill the water bags. Give her these when she wakes." Roland stood up and handed Dale the Bumbler moccasins he had he strode of with the other animal hide canteens he had made, and headed back up to the stream to fill them, turning to the watching eager eyes of Cujo,

"Dog, on me!"


	10. Pelts and shoes (cont)

By midday the campsite was packed and the tent rolled away, and the group began the long trek along the western sea again. Each person now had a small pouch of water slung over their shoulder, and Dale had slung the tent over his back. Speedy carried the remaining utensils in his bag as Gloria skipped along after the Gunslinger admiring her new footwear. she had cried herself through the night, and realized that their was nothing she could do for Eddie now- so the best thing to do would be to concentrate on getting back to Arcadia and dealing with that first. She hurried after Roland who was several steps ahead, once again deep in thought, " Roland…it is Roland right? I just want to say thank you…" she began.  
"….for my shoes I mean, thank you for my shoes."  
Roland turned and smiled briefly but did not look at her long,"they fit you well?" he asked. "Oh yeh, they are the comfiest shoes I have ever had on my feet, thank you." she beamed. Roland simply nodded and continued onward. Gloria skipped a step, trying to keep up with his long strides and watching as the terrain became more rocky, "where exactly are we going now, I mean I can't see anything along the beach…Do you know of a resort or something up here?"  
Roland let out a sigh,"No…no there is no resort child, I walk this way because I am drawn to do so by the beam, nothing else."  
"I'm nearly 19 Roland, I know I don't look it, but I am no child, Roland" she replied.  
"A child none the less, I mean no disrespect. but when you have lived as long I have, you tend to see things as they are" He grumbled.  
"…How old are you?"  
"oh, i don't recall, the world has moved on and I have little memory of the yesterdays anymore, only the tomorrows have any value to me now."  
"so You don't know where you are going, and you don't know where you've been…right. And the voices in your head are telling you which way to walk…?" she said screwing her face up. Roland pondered her questions for a moment, then grinned slightly. " Well putting it like that I guess it looks like you are all following a tormented old fool who is not long for being put out to pasture- I guess. But no, you are incorrect in one thing, I do know where I am going…"  
She waited, but he was obviously waiting to be prompted. "…well, where are you heading then?" she asked.  
Roland ignored her and looked up at the horizon as Zoltan circled ahead, then, after a while he took a deep breath and sighed an even longer exhaled one, realizing she was not going to take his silence for an answer. "my journey is of none of you're concerns child. It will only complicate things"  
Frustrated, Gloria tried again," listen mister, stop calling me a child or the next time you do I'm gonna kick your shins with my new shoes- get me. My name is Gloria Dean from new York okay!" she flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder and prodded his side.  
Roland smiled but kept walking, "you have fire in your belly ch…Gloria, you remind me of a girl I once knew when I was just a child myself." "oh yeh, did she beat you for calling her a kid too?" she grumbled. Roland's smile faded as he recalled," No, she died…along with my heart a long,long time ago"  
Gloria said nothing as she tried to match his strides, not knowing how to follow on the conversation.

Speedy used the piece of the shattered timber from the doorway to act as a walking aid,as dale helped him over the larger boulders on the beach. Cujo had taken up in between both little groups, monitoring each as the gap grew a little. "looks like we have ourselves a proper chaperon with that one!" Dale said manhandling Speedy down the current obstacle, "what did you give him Speedy…whats in that paper bag you keep checking?" Speedy laughed and supported himself on his stick, "oh thats just my magic juice Dale, comes in handy for tricky situations you want to avoid hehe !" he looked up the beach and stopped laughing, "not much farther now" he added. Dale grabbed him and ushered him onwards, "not much farther until what Speedy?" "…Until the crow finds the next one" Speedy replied.

Just then, as if on cue, Zoltans cries echoed down the beach.


	11. Chapter 11: When is a Door Not a Door ?

Zoltan soared high under the scorching afternoon sun, circling above the location of the third door as the thermals allowed the bird to lazily circle while it waited for the group. Roland squinted into the heat haze, shading his eyes from the sun then turned back to check on the progress of the others. "Wait for the others!" He said then stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled for Cujo. Gloria put her hands on her hips in defiance, but said nothing as Cujo bounded up the beach after Roland.

It was another hour before Roland finally reached the third door, and when he stopped to catch his breath he saw that the door was ajar- someone had opened it. He drew his pistol and quietly advanced to the doorway. Zoltan swooped down, landing on the Gunslingers shoulder as Cujo began sniffing the sand around the opening."Get back Dog, away from the door!" Roland ordered in a quiet growl, Cujo looked up and obeyed, wandering up to the fringe of the grassy slope. Roland slowly scoured the area as he approached the doorway cautiously, the bird on his shoulders flapping its wings and preening its feathers.

The door creaked softly in what afternoon breeze there was, allowing Roland to peer inside the darkness of the doorway. He realized that either someone had gone in through the door…or someone had been let out. This concerned him, because he was quite sure this was the work of Pennywise the foolish- or rather whoever it was pulling Pennywises strings.

Roland circled the floating doorway to make sure no one was hiding behind the frame, and stopped when he saw the daubed graffiti on the back. It was the mark of the Crimson King. He reached out angrily and ran his fingers through the running red paint, smearing the Sigal furiously until it was only a mess of childish red squiggles on the door. He lowered his hand and studied his palm. Blood, it wasn't paint , it was blood. And the blood was now swirling into the same shape that had been daubed on the door. The Crimson Eye. His face looked on in horror as the swirling eye blinked at him,

…come to me, come to me Roland of Gilead, and end your suffering. I will end your eternal toil. your fate lies beyond this door Gunslinger…come to me!

Roland blinked as the voice became louder, Follow me…follow the Crimson King to glory Gunslinger…Roland cursed the pain wiping the blood from his palm onto the door frame, and the voice laughed. He stumbled back afraid and walked around to the swinging creaking door as his head erupted with laughing from within. The inscription was quite clear but he had trouble deciphering the letters, the voice was taunting him, causing him to squint in pain at the writing,

The Uninvited

Roland grasped the door knob, then hesitated, Open the doors Gunslinger…open the doors and get back on the path of the beam. If this was Pennywises doing, it almost certainly the pathway to trouble, and not the beam. He grasped the brass knob, as the voice continued to mock him, and swung the door shut. The echoes in his head ceased as the door banged shut, and he fell to his knees, sending Zoltan flapping, dropping his pistol and clutching his head. Cujo was barking at the door frame when the others appeared over the dune, and they quickly realised that something was wrong with the Gunslinger. Dale quickly ran to his aid as Gloria helped not – so Speedy Parker down the embankment to join them.

"what happened? are you alright Roland?" Dale asked picking up Roland's weapon and scouring the area." what happened to your hand? " he said looking at the bloody stain on his jacket. Roland slowly got to his feet dazed and confused for a moment, before he turned to Dale, "I am fine, where are the others?"

"We are Right here Roland, Was it the door? Did you open it?" Speedy said breathing hard. When is a door not a door… ran through his troubled thought's Roland turned around and saw Gloria holding Speedy as Dale neared the frame, "I DID NOT-IT WAS ALREADY OPEN-KEEP AWAY FROM IT, FOR YOUR FATHERS SAKE!" He bellowed, causing Dale to freeze, "keep away from the door, it has been tainted by sorcery Dale." he repeated with a little less gusto holding out his hand.

…When its ajar! Speedy mouthed staring at the swinging oak door.

"What the hell is that Roland?" Dale said backing away from the door pulling Cujo back by his collar. Roland was looking at the Crimson Eye as it rotated slowly on his left palm, clenching his fingers into a ball and releasing them repeatedly. "I am not sure, but I think I may have just been marked by the Crimson King, curse the Gods!"

"The Crimson King?" Dale repeated as speedy Parker lowered his head. Roland said nothing as he watched the redness slowly begin to spread to his knuckles and down towards his wrist.


	12. When is a door not a door (cont)

The door was opening up again, revealing two large blinking orbs staring out of the darkness, Come to me Roland Deschain of Gilead…End you suffering and sit by my side… in the Dark Tower. Together we can rule the worlds

Roland watched as the blood began to spread and poison his left hand, first the fingers, then the thumb became a criss cross of fine spreading lines that entwined like Ivy across the knuckles and over the wrist. The Crimson King laughed as Gloria screamed again, frozen to the spot. Speedy grabbed her and pulled her in as the laughing became hysterical.  
Dale lifted Rolands pistol at the doorway and aimed at the Orbs, this only made the Crimson Kings laughter even more manic.

Join me Gunslinger or watch your feeble Ka Tet die at your feet

"Be gone foul demon before I … before I.." Roland struggled, his left hand now completely crimson and shaking violently,

Enough Gunslinger, if you do not accept this hand…then you shall die by it…The Crimson Kings bellows echoed in each of their heads as Roland's demonic left hand reached down and drew the second of his pistols of Eld.

Roland struggled as the laughter continued, but he could not control the tainted hand as it lifted the gun to Gloria.  
"ROLAND! what are you doing…stop…stop please!" Gloria screamed.  
Dale, still aiming at the orbs thumbed the hammer and fired off two shots into the darkness as a scream filled his ears. One of the orbs blinked out before the other disappeared and the door swung shut. The Gunslinger was now aiming at Gloria trying desperately to wrestle the weapon from himself. Cujo barked and jumped up, grabbing Roland by the tainted arm, but he swung down and smacked the dog in the head with the sandalwood grip, sending the dog to the ground in a yelp off pain. " For Your Fathers sake child…RUN!" he shouted as he pulled back the hammer and fired a shot. Speedy pushed her to the ground and the two of them went rolling off down the embankment as Roland took aim again.  
"ROLAND!" Dale shouted aiming at the Possessed Gunslinger, and he spun around taking aim at the Peacekeeper.  
Dale steadied his aim and fired without warning at Roland who was trying desperately to disarm himself but the damp shells from Roland's gun misfired. The Crimson Kings howls of pain and amusement filled both their ears as Dale fired off a second misfiring round striking the Gunslinger low in his boot. The Gunslinger spun backwards, but the crimson hand grasped the gun tight and fired two more shots at Dale, who was diving behind the door for shelter. This gave Roland a second to roll over and seize the left hand and try to wrestle the gun away.

Gunslinger…if you do not serve to destroy the beam, the you serve to save the beam….rule with me

"I will walk to the clearing false god before I serve you" Roland choked as he wrestled the poisoned hand.

Very well then… find your path, Gunslinger! The Crimson King turned the Gunslingers Pistol of Eld toward Roland and raised it against his temple, then pulled back the hammer and began to squeeze…

Dale was on him faster than even Cuthbert or Allan could ever have been, and stamped down hard on Roland's demonic hand. The pistol went flying as Dale put all his pressure on the gunslingers wrist and pressed the red hot barrel of the pistol to the crimson eye in the center of Roland's palm. Roland nodded, "DO IT PEACEKEEPER!" and turned his head. Dale didn't hesitate, he fired the shot, which this time did not misfire, straight through the Gunslingers palm, shattering bone and tearing flesh. The Crimson Kings pain mingled with Roland's roars as the gunshot echoed in the hills to the east. But the laughing had finally ceased.

Roland rolled over clutching is bloodied hand inspecting the damage,he had lost the last two of his fingers from his left hand, and his big toe no longer served his foot- The bullet had left nothing but a crispy burnt hole where his fingers were once attached, and the other two throbbed fiercely. Dale picked up Roland's second pistol and reached over to the Gunslinger. "Are you okay Roland?" He asked. Roland nodded, "You were quick to expel the demon peacekeeper, you are a worthy of a gunslingers weapon , and I thank you" he said as Cujo cautiously approached Roland and sniffed at his hand. "You too dog, you have my gratitude" Cujo muzzled the blasted two fingers lying on the beach and then licked his bloodied boot. Dale grinned, "I think your shells got wet last night, you'need to sort that – a lawman needs to depend on his weapons, I coulda' saved you from the pain of losing your toes!" he smiled weakly as Roland Sat up cradling his fist. "you done what you had to do, besides put a bullet in my head."

They both turned together, Gloria's sobbing stopping both gunslingers, "Dale…oh…no…I….I think he's dead!" she said cradling Speedy Parker in her bloody lap.


	13. When is a door not a door (cont2)

Speedy Parker was bleeding out, the wound in his chest causing him to breathe heavily. Gloria was clutching his hand, panicked at the sight of so much blood as Roland and Dale hunkered down next to them both.  
"I cry your pardon,Speedy…" Roland began, but speedy waved his apology away with a smile,"no need gunslinger, Ka is a wheel as you know!" Dale was stripping speedy from his tweed jacket trying to locate the entrance wound. "lift him a moment, I want to see if the bullet went through him!"  
They all carefully turned him to see that indeed the bullet had passed through his side. "get his jacket off quickly, and press down on the wound with this!" Dale gave Roland his t shirt looking down at the wounds on Roland's own hand. "Christ Roland, we need to stop your bleeding as well"  
"No need peacekeeper, continue with speedy." Roland replied, pulling speedy's arm from the sleeve.

"Oh christ, there is so much blood, will he be okay?" Gloria cried.

once Speedy was out of his jacket Dale rummaged for his hellerman tool attached to his belt and opened up the scissors. He took hold of speedy cotton shirt with the logo North Central Posatronics across the breast and noticed the name badge swipe card pinned below it,

Welcome to North Central Posatronics, my name is Eli Parker.

"Eli, your name is Eli?" Dale said cutting the cotton up the middle. Speedy nodded with a smile,"I prefer Speedy…its got a ring to it don't you (cough) think?"

Roland pressed down on the wound as it slowly pumped the blood into Dales t shirt, "this wound requires nursing Dale, I have nothing to aid you remedy this injury." Gloria held Speedy close to her as he mumbled something to her, " what? in your bag…okay" she said crawling up the embankment to collect Speedys bag.

Roland watched as Speedy faded, and slowly turned to see the old man gesture for him to move closer,"…Take me home…" he whispered to Roland, "For your fathers sake Roland, Take me home!"  
"I will Speedy. I will take you home. where is it you would like to go too?" he said as Speedy's breathing began to shallow. Dale turned to Roland as he covered the wound and shook his head slowly, unable to do anything to help.  
"Paradise City (cough)" he laughed again."My bag, can you get my bag" Gloria tumbled back down the slope with speedys bag and rolled to where they all knelt. "Here Mr Parker, I have your bag, what do you want from it?" she said, wiping the tears from her eyes.  
Speedy coughed and waved his hand again, "inside Gloria, inside…get the keys…the big bunch please(cough) and give them to Roland" Gloria unfastened the bag and began to rummage inside for them. She pulled out a keychain with several large rusted keys hanging from it, and a couple of black, fob like, car alarm devices. Speedy nodded and coughed, then pointed to Roland, "…for the…for the bears(cough) door!" he said wiping his chin. Roland took them from Gloria and examined them with a puzzled look on his face. "I do not understand Speedy…"  
Speedy tried to clear his throat but only succeeded in bringing on another bout of his coughs. He unpinned the name tag swipe card, and held it out to Dale, who was still pressing down on the wound. "I'll see(cough) what I can do about the(cough) boy Roland…" Roland took the swipe card and was about to ask speedy what he was on about when speedy turned to Gloria "Do you remember(cough) Dutch hill?" he began. Gloria looked confused for a moment, then her eyes widened, " you mean the old haunted mansion?" speedy nodded and smiled, "Good (cough)…my bottle …pass me my bottle please!"

Gloria pulled out Speedys bottle wrapped in the paper bag and handed it to him, but he waved it away, "for you my dear,(cough) take a drink first.." she looked at Dale who shrugged, then to Roland, "do as the Mannie asks child, for I believe he has his reasons"

Gloria unscrewed the top and raised the bottle to her mouth, drinking a small amount of the contents and frowning, "is it medicine Speedy, is it something to heal you?" speedy smiled again and chuckled, "Oh yes, it my medicine, my magic Todash medicine(cough)(cough) can you pour me a little please" Gloria did as she was asked, and poured the liquid slowly into Speedy's mouth. He gulped a mouthful and turned to the others,"I'm sorry, keep the door open for us for when you hear the chimes Roland…" Gloria was blinking hard as the bells rang in her head, and the dizziness hit her.

"what door, what are you talking about Speedy?" Dale said and gasped as both speedy and Gloria began to fade. "Dale!DALE! whats happening to me…Speedy what have you done to me?" Gloria shrieked as she held up her hands and saw straight through them. "Roland what is happening do something for Christ's sake!" Dale shouted as he watched his two friend fade. The Gunslinger only nodded and sat back to watch.  
"Its okay Dale, I think they are going Todash" Roland said.  
speedy reached up and grabbed for Gloria's hand, "i'm sorry (cough)Gloria, but you are the only one who(cough) can save me now!" Gloria screamed as she faded in a cacophony of bells ringing and spinning in her head, along with Speedy Parker.

"…there are other worlds than these Dale!" speedy shouted and then they both disappeared before the two stunned onlookers.


	14. Chapter 14: Chin Jawing

What the hell is Todash Roland, and what just happened?" Dale said staring at the empty space where Gloria and Speedy had just disappeared from.  
Roland re holstered his pistols and then picked up the dales bloody t shirt, ripping a strip from the dry edging. "In my world, there are old folks like Speedy…Mannie folk we call them." he said wrapping the stumps of his fingers that had been shot off by Dale."I believe our speedy Parker was similar to these people, these travelers of worlds. They call the process Todash, although I have never seen it being practiced this way before." Dale reached for the discarded bottle, that had now emptied its contents into the drying sand. "you mean this… his magic juice?" dale asked holding the bottle aloft.

Cujo came up behind them, sniffed the bottle and barked, "the same $hit he no doubt gave Bonzo here before we came through the storm cloud!" Roland nodded and tied off the makeshift bandage around his fist with his teeth. "I do not know about the dog, but yes- I think that was his way to travel"

Dale dropped the bottle and lifted Speedy's tweed jacket from the sand shaking it,"Well what the hell did he mean about the chimes and the door….and Paradise city? Too much of the magic juice- if you ask me Roland!"

Roland nodded, admiring the bandage," she will be safe i am sure of it. He spoke of a place that she recollected, and that seemed to make his decisions. He was dying and had to think fast I have no doubt. His choice was made, and unfortunately Gloria's was made for her. I suggest we collect our gunna and make our own decisions, Peacekeeper." Dale sighed, lifting up his best, now torn to pieces, guns n roses '91 world tour t shirt from the sand and inspecting the shredded bloodied mess. the use your illusion logo was split down the middle. "What the hell did you do that for Roland, It was my best shirt man!"

Roland turned and gazed at the bloodied Sigal as Dale held it aloft, "By the gods Dale, 'tis a sign from the gods. let me see that" he said grabbing the shirt from Dale in awe.

Dale picked up Speedy's bag shaking his head, and slung the canvas over his shoulder, along with the water pouches. He walked from the beach behind Roland turning back to check on the spot where they had disappeared then turned again, "What about you Roland, and your foot, and the crazy graffito on the door…what the hell do we do now?"

Roland, who was still gazing at the t shirts design in wonder, looked down at his foot as it kicked up the sand and frowned, "ah yes, my foot- I had forgot about that. I will tend to it once we are clear of this place- away from the door. This Sigal represents what exactly. Is it a military logo?"  
Dale laughed, "your kidding me right fella? You aint never heard of guns n roses? Axel rose? November rain? they're a band Roland…you've heard of music over here right?" Roland mused this over, "you mean like wandering minstrels?"  
"wandering minstrels…yeh whatever you say Roland!"

"No matter, we can discuss this gun sin roses later, are you with me, Peacekeeper?"

Dale sighed picking up the tent bundle and slinging it over his shoulder, and secured his tool back into its pouch on its belt. "Well, apart from washing my hair, I got nothing better to do today"

They slowly walked into the forest together, the journey just beginning for the two Gunslingers from different worlds.

They travelled in silence, moving east for several hours, covering many wheels according to Roland, before they made camp. The terrain was rough and large trees filled the sky above them, preventing the hot sunlight from penetrating the canopy. Roland sat down on a fallen tree next to a brook that gurgled quietly by, and removed his hat, wiping his sweating brow with his his sleeve. Dale dropped his bags and stretched his back with a contorted grimace on his face. "Hows your hand" he finally said pointing casually at the bandaged palm.  
"I will live" Roland replied removing his worn boot from his throbbing foot. "And your foot? how many toes did you lose?" Dale winced as the bloody stocking emerged from the leathery footwear. Roland dropped the boot and carefully peeled off his sock. One of his toes remained inside and Dale turned from the sight.  
"Oh $hit, i'm sorry Roland- but i was only trying for a flesh wound" He winced again.  
Roland shook the sock until the separated digit fell to the ground, and looked at Dale, "You did not aim with your hand, Peacekeeper , he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. You aimed with your eye. And that is good. My toe will be forgotten, but your quick thinking will not, and I thank you. Now, if I could ask for your assistance in binding my wound I would once again be grateful."

"The face of my father? Well that's a new one on me big fella, not many people thank the man who disables them these days. Tell you what, you wash that flipper of yours, then I'll take a look at it, okay?" Roland nodded and hopped over to the bubbling water and placed his foot into it. Cujo was sniffing around the clearing, closing in on the Gunslingers discarded toe as Zoltan appeared from his midday wing stretch," screw you Dale, screw you!"

Dale looked up from untying his bundle, and turned to Roland,"Did you teach him that?" Roland smiled," I may have mentioned your name to him is all. Did you not complain about his lack of vocabulary?"

"Ghee, a comedian in the making Roland- very droll." Dale paused and rubbed his face slowly, " Tell me one thing,Roland… the red muppet in the doorway- what the hell was was it? what the hell did I shoot up in there…and why was it after just you?"  
Roland pulled his freezing foot from the brook and wiped it with his good hand. He thought hard for a long time, studying his new comrade as Dale studied him. " I am not familiar the term red moppet, but he goes by many names, Red Daddy,The red king, Big red… most know him as the crimson king- Lord of Discordia." he paused again, wiggling his remaining toes," I will tell you all I know, Dale of… where are you from? He queried.  
"Lately, nowhere- i just drift, last place I left was a fun little town called Chester's mill…one to bypass there!" Dale said rubbing his neck.  
"Well Dale of Chester's Mill, I will tell my tale to you of Maerlyn and his Rainbow, but first, my foot if it does ya' " Roland said wiggling his toes again. Dale rummaged inside Speedy's bag pulling out the weird assortment of goodies one by one and shook his head at the strange assortment of strings and magnets and what looked like rosary beads. Finally he pulled out a small first aid kit," well whadda ya know- a man ready for just about all unexpected events!" He said thinking about the girl again.

"She'll be okay Roland? I mean hes one of the good guys…he'll take care of her-right? "

Roland pondered this for a moment, then slowly turned to Dale and uttered,"there will be water if the gods will it, Dale!"

Whats that, like a que sera sera or something?" Dale replied opening the gauze bandage packet and setting down the first aid kit on the grass next to Roland. "It means whatever the gods will, and yes i am sure that Speedy Parker is no harrier" Roland said rolling up his trouser leg.  
"Tell me,"Roland began," which part of your world did you police, peacekeeper?"  
Dale unwound the bandage and began to dress the gunslingers wound," I spent the years here and their, wherever conflict blossomed- my men and I were sent. mainly the poorer nations, where governments were being overthrown by some fanatically right wing faction, or dictators who were trying their luck- always someone who reckons they have the good on their side.. you know the type" Roland listened and nodded. "I know very well. My father spoke of turmoil over mid world the like of which you speak, and Gilead had its very own fanatical named John Farson whose faction overthrew our governing elders. They named him the Good man, but his crimes proved otherwise."

"Gilead?" dale queried.

"My home, in the baronies of new Canaan, it was the jewel in the crown, before it all fell. Now it is just I." Roland said lowering his trouser leg."For all I know, the same fate fell upon Garlan and mayhaps on the distant shores of Porla, Maybe all the Gunslingers fell!"

""what, you mean it was destroyed? captured? was it about land?" Dale stopped binding and looked up. Roland wriggled his toes again, checking the circulation," destroyed yes, my people fled the kingdom and I watched as I lost almost everyone…" silence fell between the two men.

Dale lifted himself from the ground and wiped his hands on his jeans, blowing out a lungful of held breath, " sounds like you have had a hard time of it Roland… so what's next for you- where are we heading?" Roland turned slowly,

"We? There is no we, Dale. I will help you find a settlement along the way, then we will part ways…" "whoa, Whoa, whoa…I just lost my ticket home when the wiz decided to steal Dorothy and her magic slippers- I haven't got a hope in hell of finding a way back Roland. So where you go I go. Besides Butch, i kinda thought you could do with someone to watch your back, you know like your very own Sundance kid."

Roland thought for a moment, "Sundance kid?"

"Yeh you know, butch and Sundance hole in the wall gang….go down in a hail of bullets fighting off the bad guys, that kinda thing!" Dale said making finger guns and shooting them from the hip.

"oh, you mean like harriers, no I have been there and lost too many loyal friends Dale. For now we walk and talk, but I must continue my journey alone." Roland sighed grabbing his boot again. "Thank you, your bindings are tight."

"Tell me about Gilead, Roland. what happened?" Dale asked slapping Cujo from his bundle and leaning against it, with his arms behind his head. "Another day, perhaps," Roland paused, "How many men did you command?"

"forty, how many friends did you lose?"

"All of them," Roland paused, "Tell me Dale…why choose to be a peacekeeper?"

"I wanted to serve my country… What happened to the rest of your group?"

"They died, "Roland sighed, contemplating again in silence "why did you leave your command? Where you sent west?"

"Sent west? Actually I was sent East, Iraq…"

The chess game continued as fires were lit and broth boiled, both men quietly testing the other as Old mother gazed upon the two weary travellers…and Ka turned onward into the cold night.


	15. 2: Gloria takes a Tumble

Gloria screamed, smelling the warm pungent air as it buffeted around her, the loud ringing chimes echoing and rattling the fillings in her teeth and burrowed deep into her sandy bank she had just been hunkered on disappeared and she watched helplessly as the two men that looked on in shock, faded in a blurry mist. She shrieked in pain blindly feeling for something to hold onto as her stomach churned up the beans along with Speedy Parker's sickly sweet magic juice. Speedy grabbed her wrist tight as the blackness swirled around them both, trying to calm her as she began to scream again, "Be still child… be still. It is nearly over" he weakly coughed as the sickeningly dizzying nausea faded. Her eyes crossed as she tried to focus on the faint fuzzy light in the distance, but the smell made her gag. The smell reminded her of the old abandoned train tunnel back in Brooklyn, where her and Henry used to play. The tunnel where decades of squatting hobos had relieved themselves against the blackened sooty walls, spilling their foul waste over the rotting the half buried sleepers. Gloria gagged again,rolled her eyes, and then fainted.

The damp ground beneath Gloria crunched as she shifted her weight and sat up slowly clutching her head. It was dark and cold, and the air had an unpleasant odour to it, a sort of earthy moldy aroma that wafted with the salty breeze lingering in her nostrils. She took a moment to allow for her senses to adjust to the new surroundings, and waited for her eyes to focus in the dim light. She could make out worn brick walls that wrapped over her, and realised she was inside now, some sort of tunnel perhaps. And as she followed the walls down the narrowing tunnel to the dim light at the entrance, she saw the silvery shimmer from the moon that fell upon the rippling waters outside. She snapped her head back quickly when she heard the groaning, and saw Speedy Parker, who was now lying face down next to her. Carefully she turned him over wiping the filth from his face, and noticed his breathing was shallow, "Mr Parker?" she asked shaking him gently. "Mr Parker, are you awake…say something! where are we Mr Parker?

Speedy mumbled something, but Gloria could not make out what he was saying,"Mr Parker, can you hear me, wake up…please wake up!" Gloria could feel the tears welling, and was becoming frightened again."Mr Parker, please don't die on me here, i dont wanna be alone here…"

Speedy opened his eyes and flapped an arm at her, smiling as usual,"Don't be afraid child… the worst is (cough) over now.I need you to be strong now, you need to get me to(cough)…" Speedy turned and spat out a mouthful of something to the ground."You need to get me to Dutch hill, can you(cough) can you do that Gloria, can you get me to(cough)…to the mansion on Dutch Hill?"

Gloria stared down at the man whom she had only known for 1 day, the frown on her forehead adding years to her young face,"Whhh…I don't even know where we are now Speedy, how can I get you to where you want to go..if…if I don't even know where the hell we are now? And look at you speedy, I can't lift you…how am I meant to lift you?" Speedy nodded and smiled, "You'll find a way, (cough) take a look outside child, (cough) you should recognize where we are…go on…" He waved his limp hand at her again.

Gloria carefully pulled Speedy to the blackened wall of the tunnel and checked his wound, the blood had stopped flowing now but it was still worry to her. She made sure his head was supported and turned to the blind old man, "Mr Parker, how do you know I will recognize what I see outside? Are you a mind reader or like that magician guy on the television…Dynamo… or… Blain?" she said covering his wound over again. Speedy chuckled, and took hold of her wrist," Child, I have been called many things over the years but never(cough) Blaine(cough). No I am none of those child, Roland(cough) probably hit the nail on the head with his(cough) guess. I am a traveler of worlds Gloria, a watcher for the White…what we use is no magic,(cough)…its called Todash" Speedy Parker began coughing violently and Gloria could only watch on.

"We need to get help, you're gonna die Mr Parker…I gotta find some help" she began, "NO,no…no help I need you to get me to the mansion Gloria, please… before its too one else must be involved now- the Ka tet is formed, and the wheel is in motion now " Gloria stood up as panic began to crawl up her back."what are you talking about Speedy, I can't do this on my own…you know that! She turned to the exit and walked to the edge of the dim light. Speedy watched and smiled softly at her pain.

Outside she could smell the fresh salty sea air now, and hear the waves lapping the shoreline down below her. She hugged herself as tried to work out what to do next. Their was no way she could move Mr Parker on her own, she needed help. As she watched the waves lap the shore,she looked out across the expanse of the water with wonder.

She gazed up at the huge beast above her in awe, its menacing dark towering legs reaching high into the sky…"Throgs Neck…" she began to sob smiling at the wonder,"…I'm home!….Speedy…I'm Home!"


	16. Throggs Neck

"Mr Parker…Speedy, I know where we are, I know this place. we're back in the co-op!" Gloria came running back into the tunnel waving and pointing outside frantically."Its the Throgg Bridge outside, we cant be more than half an hour away from The Hutch river!" she said,skidding down on her knees next to Speedy and shaking him," Speedy I am home! I can get you help, and take you home too…Speedy…Speedy?" His breathing had steadied but he was no longer responding to her anymore, he merely mumbled on about the fate of the dark tower, and when she put the back of her hand to his face she felt the skin had gone cold and clammy. "I will get you help Mr Parker, you'll be will get you fixed up,okay!" Gloria spun around on her bare knees and peered into the darkness behind them. "Get me to the house Gloria…get me to the city before its too late!"

The light in the tunnel penetrated a little further than where they both sat, and she could make out dark shapes on the ground ahead. She pushed herself back to her feet and rubbed her hands together to remove the muck stuck to her palms, then slowly ventured into the darkness, reaching out with both fumbling hands.

After shuffling nine or ten paces into the gloom her Bumbler moccasins bumped against something on the ground, and she stopped to feel the obstacle in her path. It was a stack of cardboard boxes that swayed and toppled to the floor as she reached out. She stooped down and felt around for them, knocking over a couple of empty glass bottles that chinked against the shingle and rolled onto some plastic sheeting with a thud. Another bottle, this one full, spilled and glugged away its contents into the ground. The smell was pungent and she had to lift a hand to her nose. At some point this must have been a hobo hole, a castle hidden away from the gaze of society. But now it lay empty and unfortified against would be thieves, the occupant long gone- or maybe just out scavenging for other discarded trinkets to bring back to the kings chamber.

Gloria pulled the ground sheet away from the emptying bottle and the boxes with a heave,and grabbed one of the boxes, then returned to Speedy who was still propped against the damp wall. "Mr Parker,Speedy I got you this to lye on while I go for help…I wont be long." Gloria puffed as she struggled with the items. She lay the dirty but dry box on the ground and collapsed the sides, producing a cross shaped cardboard mattress for Speedy to rest upon. Slowly and carefully she manhandled Speedy from the wall and rolled him to the ground cover, turning him to on his side. She had heard somewhere that placing an injured casualty on their side increases survival chances. Speedy groaned, more woes about Roland and his quest , but made no objections to her. She lay his head upon his outstretched arm making him look like he was hailing a cab and stroked his head, "I will go and get some help Speedy, I wont be long…just rest here okay, you will be safe."

Speedy looked up through his glazed milky eyes and smiled at her as she carefully maneuvered him, and he wrapped his clammy fingers around her wrist,"I think i'm gonna need some cheflex…Keflex, child" Gloria forced a smile and pulled the crinkled polythene cover over him to keep him warm and stared at the mumbling man for a moment."I'll get you what you need Speedy" His thoughts were disorientated now, talk of Ka and the wheel, and of Todash meant little to her. They were words she had only heard the Gunslinger use…back there. She wondered what they would do if they were here instead of her. Would they be treating the wound by now, or leaving to find help like she was about to do." The mansion, get me to the mansion…Dutch Hill…please!" His hand slipped from her wrist and she stood up, glancing down at Speedy one more time,and then ran for the entrance.

Gloria turned back sadly and looked at Speedy as he lay there,slipping in and out of consciousnesses, "please hold on Speedy- gimme an hour" she paused,"… two at most,okay!" she mumbled to herself, then jumped down onto the grassy embankment, and disappeared into the night.


	17. Throggs Neck (cont)

Now she heard it, now she heard the noises in the night. The traffic as it roared above on the toll express way, the water as is rolled over the shingled beaches, the sirens wailing in the shimmering water was illuminated by the street lights positioned along the waterfront as it caressed the wooden jetty outcrops along the Locust point marina, but Gloria did not have time to stop to watch it this time. Once upon a times past, she would have been down here with her beloved brothers Grimm and their rods, shifting from jetty to jetty arguing about the best place to drop a line. But tonight their was little time to dwell on the fun family squabbles of yesteryear, and she pounded the street onward- Roland's homemade slippers slapping down on the bitumen surface like wet fish on a chopping block.

As she rounded the corner and crossed Randall Ave, she slowed to catch her breath. Her heart was beating so fast now that she was now down to a walking pace, and clutching her chest. She began to sob again, thinking she was never going to make it home, when she realised where she actually was. It was Eddies favourite fishing pier, he loved coming down here to what he called 'da family resort. Henry would rib him about it, but Eddie found it hilarious and quite cool to have a street named after them- and to have the best place along Turtle cove to catch the monsters of the deep. Indeed Dean street was the family fishmarket of the Bronx for Eddie, Henry and Gloria. They would almost always return home with a bucket full of slapping beauties for their mother to cook up, Eddie always being ribbed by Henry about the tiddlers he had caught, when actually it was usually Eddie who had caught the biggest. But the bigger brother always took the fish off the line for his younger brother and sister, fixed the hook and baited for them with little complaint- other than the usual "aw.. you two are nothing but a pair of bitchin' babies- next time i'm usin one of you guys as bait- and wait till you see what I pull outta the water then. Things gonna be bigger than moby frickin' dick!"

Gloria smiled at this, as she crouched over, resting her arms on her bare thighs, tugging at the surfing suit that had ridden up her legs and was chaffing her now. She pulled at the bunching leg fabric, pulling it down from her crotch, while working out she had a good few kilometers to get back to the Co op. She pushed off again across into Waterbury ave and under the express way.

Things seemed darker to her as she passed along the quiet rows of houses, and when she stopped at the corner crossing she realised that she was nearly home. The faint smell of open fire burning lingered in the air and she knew immediately she was just around the corner from Louie and Ernie's Pizza Restaurant. She could almost taste the meatball pizza. Her stomach rumbled at the thought and she ran around the side of the small brick building on the corner and grasped the door knob. Ernie will call for help, and feed me too- then he'll call my mother..and I can tell…I can…Eddie! Her heart fell would be Henry all over again. She would have to tell everybody what happened to her and poor Eddie, the brother she was meant to be watching. Just like the hit and run, where Henry was left on the sidewalk to bleed out as she cradled him, not fully understanding what was happening.

The door was locked, and the knob just clicked back and forth, and when she peered inside the pizza parlor she saw that the neon leaning tower clock hanging above the till read 3am. She could feel the panic rising again, and realised she had to move on, or Speedy was going to die. She left Louie and Eddies Pizza and ran on up the street, tears welling in her eyes now. She was becoming frantic now, and her focus had all but evaporated but she held onto the thought of Speedy waiting for her in the damp tunnel.

The stitch in her side hit almost immediately and she doubled over sobbing,clutching onto the wire fence that surrounded the playground. And that was when another fond memory of Eddie and Henry found its way into her mind.

Gloria gazed up and peered in through the holes in the fence to see the scuffed painted key on the court, and the thread bare hoop basket lightly blowing in the breeze. This was where her and Henry had played "one on one" while Eddie watched on on many a warm evening. This was… Bufano Park!

Now the tears threatened to flow as she walked inside the playground and sat on the bench by the basketball court where they had spent so many nights . The bench where Eddie had sat and watched his brother and sister fight out their gladiatorial rights to the death to find who was king of the hoops, while Eddie played with his brothers butterfly knife. Gloria ran her fingers over the years of gouged graffiti marks dug into wooden seat, and slowly caressed the one in the middle, the one her little brother had crafted so well. The whittling even Henry had time to admire, although he had never said anything to Eddie.

It was a whittled picture depicting Gloria, Henry and Eddie dangling their rods off the pier down by Deans Street. They had all signed there names over the little stick men with their fishes. And on the end of Henry's rod, was the biggest fish of all three…Eddie had given Henry his Moby Dick.

And this time Gloria couldn't hold the tears back, and as they broke from her flood barriers she began to bawl for her dead brothers, and Speedy Parker.


	18. Kingsland

Gloria had no recollection of how long she wept on the bench, but when she finally wiped her puffy eyes and stood up she was struck by a violent stitch in her belly which caused her to double over and wretch. Speedy Parker's magic juice was threatening evacuation from her stomach in a horrendous bout of spasmodic convulsions, coupled with the now familiar clanging of the chiming bells inside her head. She fell to her knees clutching her head and began screaming as her vision became blurred, but slowly she fought it, and calmed the urge- as the lights from the nearby houses on Lasalle Avenue blinked on one by one.

In panic she rose to her feet, and began to run as the chimes faded, the people from the nearby houses twitching the curtains to see what horror was unfolding outside at the ungodly hour. Gloria ran.

She ran through the streets, ran until she hit the traffic on Middletown road, but still she continued running, her sobbing and panting for breath not slowing her at all. Over the streets and under the bypass, across the parkways and along the thruways, until she finally stopped along Gun hill road,exhausted, unable to run any further. She fell to her knees, and this time Speedy's magic juice was expelled onto the pavement and the bells rang in her head. Gloria closed her eyes, curled up into a ball and and lay on the footpath praying for the noise to end.

When it was quiet, and her belly calm, Gloria uncurled herself and lay on her back, wiping the bile from her mouth. She gazed up to the stars in the heavens and waited. She waited for it all to sink in. Her brother was dead, left on the beach to be fed upon by …by what. What was she going to tell her poor mother when she got home? And what was she going to say about speedy…that an old blind man saved her by drugging her and taking her to…to..Oz? Where she met a cowboy and a rabid dog? What would her mother think when she found out that he had also given her some magic juice to drug her and then brought her back through a…toad rash tunnel? She lay there and counted the stars, the one the Gunslinger had called Old mother blinked and darkled above her as she watched through watery eyes.

No matter what she was going to say, she realised she first had to get back home. Back to her mother who would sort it all out. Sort it the way she had done with Henry when she was just twelve years old and poor Eddie was a frightened eight year old kid, hanging onto his older brothers shirt tails. Now, six years later, and it was going to be Eddie they would be putting to rest. It would be Eddie not seeing his 15th birthday- just like the dead brother he had doted after years dean was only fourteen when he pushed Gloria and Eddie to safety, and as a result, it was Henry who was killed by the hit and run driver, and to this day, Gloria's mother had never fully recovered from the loss of her dear boy. Gloria's latest news would break her heart.

It was breaking Gloria's heart too, but she had to get up and get home. Their was no other choice for her now. She shifted to her hands and knees, then stood up, her aching calf muscles flaring up again as she stretched and wiped the snot from her face onto her neoprene suit, and then began walking again. She walked and tried to work out how she was going to break the news to her mother. Maybe she wouldn't have to. Maybe the police were already there, comforting her and waiting for Gloria to return. Surely after 24 hours they would have notified all the deceased, not then she would surely have to tell her mother herself. Then she would call the police and tell them about the old dying man in the sewer tunnel, before curling up in her bed and pulling the covers over- and just never come out ever again.

The road sign on the corner ahead sent butterflies fluttering inside her now empty belly, she was home…

Kingsland avenue.


	19. The Dean residence

Gloria reached for the iron fence and grabbed it tight, flakes of the rusted white paint came off in her hand as her knuckles tightened around the ornate decoration. She was staring up at the third floor of the wooden whitewashed slatted house with a multitude of thoughts spinning in her head.

The front door was reached by a set of fenced doglegging stairs from the narrow strip of raised garden that seemed to be used as a dumping ground for various discarded household items and wooden beam. The door itself was hung 10 feet from the ground as an almost after thought by the builder. Mrs Mislaburski, who occupied the ground floor, was obviously still up as her light illuminated the ground floor and Gloria slowly climbed the stone steps to the raised platform leading to the front door. She turned the handle and pushed the door open slowly. The stair was dark and cluttered, Dora Bertollo, from upstairs always accumulated her buggies and footwear in the communal corridor and Gloria carefully stepped over the obstacles aware of the nostalgic smell that was penetrating her senses..

There were bikes too, lots of kids bikes propped against every wall space. The place hadn't had so many bikes since the Dean family moved in way back. Dora must have the grandchildren over for the weekend Gloria thought as she passed the familiar looking banana seat bikes propped against each other. She ran her fingers over the girls Huffy bike curved seat and reached for the basket on the front,, and was reminded of the bike runs her and her brothers would make down to the beach; with her on her flowery designed Huffy, and Henry on his high handle barred bike with Eddie tucked in behind him on the long padded tiger skin seat. Her heart sank again.

She left the bikes in the darkened corridor and climbed to the third floor, where they had lived for nearly 20 years. The smell of her mothers cooking filled the air, even although the pots would be long cooling by now. She wiped her sweating hands on her chest, took a deep breath and then opened door. The flat was warm, unusually warm. Normally the new air con her mother had recently fitted, would be blowing but Gloria paid little attention and headed for her mothers room, tears already welling. she tried to fight it but the spasm in her throat that had started quivering up and down, and she was already fighting with her emotions as her bottom lip trembled before she had even seen her mothers face and told her that Eddie was dead. She opened her mothers bedroom door and stood there for a moment, staring down at the peaceful woman sleeping in the double bed, and began to sob.

"mom…mom…are you awake..mom?" Gloria began in broken sobs, walking over to the side of the bed and reaching for her mothers hand."mom, please wake…mom…I…I need to tell you…." tears were rolling down her cheeks now as her mother rolled onto her back and opened her eyes slowly,"Eddie, whats the matter,"she began rubbing her eyes waking from her dreams,"you've not wet your bed again have you?" she continued, rising to her elbows and trying to blink herself awake.

"mom…I need to tell you something…I'm so sorry mom…" Gloria reached out to hug her mother, choking on the words that just wouldn't come out. "whats the matt…" Gloria's mother stopped in mid sentence and pulled away from Gloria's embrace, " oh lord, have mercy!" she gasped and pulled away from Gloria. "What is this!" she croaked in terror, reaching up for the cross around her neck. "Mom…I'm so sorry..Eddie is…he's.." Gloria pulled back, her mother darkened silhouetted features already looking tortured, "mom….Eddie is…gone" she broke down and reached for her mother, who was now propped up against the headboard staring disbelievingly at a now sobbing Gloria, clutching her cross with both hands. "Oh lord above have mercy, whats going on…HENRY!" she shouted, pulling away from a startled Gloria. "Henry!" she cried again as Gloria pulled back confused.

"Mom…its me. Henry is …Dead. whats the matter with you?" she sobbed reaching out for her mothers hand. "NO! stay back child…HENRY!" she screamed sliding over to the other side of the bed in shear panic and reaching for the bedside light.

"WHAT! I'm comin…what is it Ma'?" Gloria turned as the thumping feet pounded into the bedroom and the door swung open. Gloria looked up as the figure wielding the baseball bat up in the air stood in the doorway before her.

"Who 'da hell are you?" He asked raising the bat a little higher ready to strike out.

Gloria's mouth slowly dropped open as she gasped,"…Henry?"

Behind him, another set of thuds came echoing down the hall and a sleepy looking boy of no more than seven or eight walked up behind his brother and rubbed his eyes,"Henry, whats happening…ma' who is that girl?" he said standing in his Starsky and Hutch pyjamas, pointing at Gloria.

"Eddie?" Gloria mumbled, and turned back to her mother wide eyed, "whats… going on mom…whats happening?"


	20. The Dean residence (cont)

Eddie Dean's eyes widened in shock as his mother fainted and toppled from her bed knocking over the lamp on the side drawer."MA!," Henry cried, and moved forward to check on her – then stopped as Gloria flinched," Eddie, go check on Ma…You – I don't know what da"hell you think you're doing in our house, but you'd better come up wi'd something fast lady…or…or I'm gonna start swinging this here bat of mine like the Babe…you get me!"

Gloria's lip trembled as she watched Eddie walking around the bed carefully all the while staring at her. she stood up and reached out for the young boy in his brothers hand me down pyjamas "Eddie…its me…its your sister..Gloria….please…" she was crying again as she reached out towards him. "Back off lady, I mean it…i'll start swinging!" Henry growled as the bat twitched above his head. "Henry wait, I don't know what is going on…its me…its Gloria, you have to believe me…" Eddie was by his mothers side brushing her hair back from her forehead with his clammy hands," Henry, mums sleeping…shes got a big bump on her head" he said, tears in his own eyes. Gloria shifted towards Henry again, "Henry, I think i'm dreaming…this cannot be happening, I don't understand this at all…" she looked into his scared eyes and saw panic,"…their was a ..he gave me some medicine, and a beach with huge lobsters, and a rabid dog with a gunslinger..Dale helped me …look they made me these shoes," she pointed to the bumbler moccasins. "lady , you need help I don't know any Gloria, and I sure as hell don't know you, now stand there and don't move while I check on my ma, Eddie go wake Dora – get her to call the cops, okay Kid!" Henry was now stepping away from Gloria and moving around the dim room to where his mother lay on the floor."no…no police, speedy is…I need help…please Speedy has been shot…" Henry interrupted, "You need help alright, ye' sound like a freakin loony if you ask me, Eddie, EDDIE!" Eddie was staring at Gloria, studying her saddened face and frowning, "are you a ghost?" he said quietly as Henry shuffled passed him."What…no, I don't think so Eddie. I'm your sister, i'm Gloria don't you remember me?" she began sniff and wiped the tears away from her cheek with her hand. Eddie frowned again and looked down at Henry who was checking over his mother,"don't listen to the headcase Eddie…go and wake Dora…call the police, tell them we just caught ourselves a burglar red handed, easier than pullin' fish from the cove" Eddie looked up again, still with the deep concentrated frown lining his face and slowly walked over to Gloria. "My sis' died when I was 4, but she wasn't called Gloria…" EDDIE…the phone go now, before this crazy bitch does a runner!" Henry shouted. Eddie carried on past Gloria as she stood there totally mesmerized by the hallucination she was having. "…my big sister was called Selina and she was six years old when i saw her die five years ago…but you don't look like your eleven years old…" Gloria's heart sunk in her chest, "how did she die Eddie? she asked falling to her knees and lifting a hand out to him,"How did Selina die Eddie…was it a car? did a car run her over?" Henry stood up again and grabbed the bat from the bed," Okay enough, stop scaring the kid lady…Gloria…whoeva' da hell you are. How my sister died is none of your business, okay. so sit your ass down there and wait for the cops okay! Eddie…the freakin' phone – go make a call damn it!" he swung the bat and pointed to the door, but Eddie stood where he was and slowly reached out for Glorias hand.

Eddie looked sad as he squeezed her cold flesh,

"…we were playing with the fishing rods by the dumpster downstairs – Selina and me, when Selina…Their was nothing I could do," he looked up to Henry who was now looking sad also, "…she died!" Eddie said and reached for the bracelet on Gloria's wrist. Eddie poked at the beads and turned them as she watched on, then she turned to Henry," I know you wont believe it but …please believe me…I know about the car and Selina…i know because…well I was there." she lifted the bracelet toward Eddie and turned the beads around to form the word on her wrist. I know, Eddie, because you made this for me the day i saw you…" she trailed off and turned to Henry, "Henry, I know because I didn't die that day. that was the day we were going to go fishing down by Deans street, our pier, our resort. we were going to go fishing for your Moby dick Henry…I didn't die because you saved me, you saved both of us from the Buick as it swerved into us, you pushed us to safety before you…" she stopped as Eddie was turning the last bead over and lining it with the others.

"Selina?" he asked astounded, the beads spelling out the old name her father had disliked. She smiled and laughed, wiping the tears from her cheek once more, "Yes, Yes Eddie…its me …its Selina. I don't know how but yes its please believe me, I need your help…help me. We can work out what has happened after. But for now I need to save Mr Parker. We have to hurry!"

Henry was lowering the bat, pier he thought, he hadn't been back their since the looked down at Eddie, then over to his mother, then back to the girl kneeling on the carpet by the end of the bed."look Seli…Gloria, this don't make any sense to me. and if your taking the piss, then you and my bat are going to get acquainted pretty quickly. Eddie, go get a damp rag and put it on ma's bump okay, while me and twilight zone girl here talk." he dropped the bat and held out a hand for Gloria. She smiled and reached for it, and he pulled her up.

"Do you still want me to call the police Henry? will mom be okay? Eddie said. Henry smiled back at him as Gloria stood up, "Not yet squirt, lets check her pockets and hear what she has to say first eh, go get the damp cloth, ma' will be okay."

Eddie done as he was asked as Henry escorted Gloria to the kitchen.


	21. Dean residence (cont 2)

Henry showed Gloria into the small kitchen area, the walls were yellow and stained with nicotine around the square wooden dining table. He pulled out a chair, dragging it on the lino flooring that was tacky and dirty, and Gloria noticed the pile of clothes stacked by the linen cupboard. she nodded and sat down as Eddie stood on his tip toes and ran the tap over the cloth he pushed under the facet. She made a casual observation to herself of the state of the place, dirty dishes in the sink piled high, takeaway food trays on the counter top, the bin overflowing with Boing Boing burger wrappers- whatever they were she thought. Above them was a wooden dolly for drying clothes with a pulley system that was attached to the far wall. The clothes hung over the dining table and were dripping onto the tacky floor. The Calender hanging on the cupboard door read November 1971, and she let out a small gasp. Eddie was right, she was 11 year old in 1971which made Henry around 15 now and Eddie about 7 or 8, her head wasn't adhering to her questions too well, and she became confused. But what was troubling her the most was the run down state of the place, the stale cigarette smell that hung in the air and the pile of unwashed dishes in the sink. Her mother would never have allowed things to get like this, she was too proud. henry took note of her stares and blushed slightly, "Yeh well, ma' ain't been to good since Selina…passed." he wiped at the back of his neck looking awkward " she's been on medication, which kinda leaves me to sort Eddie an' me out. Look I ain't happy with this neither, but its the best we got okay…so don't judge us right!" he said flushed now, tucking his white vest into his pyjama bottoms.

Gloria said nothing as she reached out to Henry, he backed off and watched her hand slowly fall again," Henry I understand, honest I do. I saw her do the same thing when…" she stopped and lowered her gaze. Henry watched Eddie skip out with the rag and he closed the kitchen door behind the kid. "Saw her do what exactly..what are you getting at..what do you know about it- you come here mouthing of all this mumbo jumbo about you being …Selina…and all the while i'm think..who is this girl…whats her game, 'cos that's what I reckon it is…a game. And you're up to something…" Gloria looked up at Henry, trying hard to resist the temptation to slap him, instead she cleared her throat and spoke softly.

"Henry, i'm not playing any games here, i'm scared and i'm hungry. their are all these shitty thoughts going around my head at the moment and all I can think about is slapping you across that stupid face of yours!" she took a breath as Henry stared wide eyed. "I know how things are, because I saw our mother do the exact same thing when you died." she paused and waited for a response but got only a blank stare. "Wherever I was, I watched You die Henry, you died saving me and Eddie from the same car that probably ran me over here wherever here is!" Gloria's head hurt. Didn't Speedy Parker say that their were other worlds when they first met under the warbling thinny, she couldn't remember. "Listen Henry, I don't understand it myself, but I can show you everything I have seen, places you and I grew up- secret little places only you me and Eddie know about.I can take you to Speedy, but we need to go now. He will tell us what is going on, but we gotta go now, he's dying- he was shot by…well that doesn't matter who by, what matters is we need to help him now…Please Henry!" Henry was still staring passed Gloria as he listened to her speech. Other worlds, like star trek? he thought, and scratched his head again, the greasy quiff palmed back behind his ear. Gloria stared at him and waited as he pulled what he could from the madness.

slowly he walked to the fridge and opened the door, then bent down and pulled out a carton of milk and a plate of salami. He placed it infront of Gloria and then reached back in for the bread. "here make yourself at home, gimme five minutes" He said then walked out the kitchen and closed the door behind himself leaving Gloria staring at the food before her. She picked up the bread and broke it in half, then sniffed the salami before making herself a sandwich. The milk was cool and smelled not to bad, not fresh but drinkable and she drank it down. It washed away the acidic taste of Speedy Parker's Todash potion and for that she was thankful. then she waited and watched the kitchen clock.

"You got it short stuff, stay with ma' and wait until she wakes. Then give her the medication again and make sure she is okay. Go down to Dora and ask her to come up and stay with you until I get back, Chuggy and you can watch movies until I get back. okay!" He held Eddies face in his hands, squeezing it slightly to make a squished fish face. "But Henry, where are you going, and why can't I come with you?" Eddie groaned. Henry smiled," Because you gotta take care of ma' until I get back, I wont be long- look you can stay up and watch tv until I get back." Eddie sulked as he watched his big brother pack the back pack with items from the first aid box. " Do this one thing for me Eddie, and you can have the poster from the movie we went to see last week" he pointed at the Duel poster blue tacked to his wall. "i dont want the stoopid poster Henry- the truck scared me,you know that. I have nightfrights every time I see that poster" he frowned. Henry smiled, "okay do this for me or i'll stick the poster of the bad truck above your bed" he smiled ruffling his hair. eddie frowned again, "…Do you believe her Henry, do you think she is telling the truth? She might be an alien sent to copy us and eat our brains?" Eddie said as he and Henry walked through to Henry's bedroom. Henry picked up the jacket from the back of his chair. "I dunno kid, I think she needs help, either way I don't want her in here when ma' wakes up, okay!" He smiled sliding his arms into the sleeves and checking for the blade in his pocket.

"okay, lets go talk to the brain eating pod creature eh Eddie old boy!" Henry said grabbing another jacket for Gloria, and slinging the backpack over his shoulder. Eddie smiled and followed his brother from the bedroom.

Gloria was standing by the kitchen sink when the two brothers walked in, she had washed the pile of dishes and was now neatly stacking them in the rinsing tray.

"Wow, a cat burglar who cleans up after themselves!" Henry chuckled,thumping his brother on the shoulder."maybe pod people aint so bad after all eh Eddie!" he added, and Eddie managed a little chuckle himself.

"okay are we ready? I grabbed some stuff for your man Speedy- if we are gonna go I reckon we should go now-right" Henry asked. Gloria smiled and walked over to them both and reached out for Eddies hand,"I'm sorry I scared you Eddie, this is all very confusing for me too." she knelt down again and swept his fringe from his face," maybe we can talk more when I get back….i mean …if you'll let me?" she added looking up to Henry. He said nothing. Eddie lowered his head again, " I'd like to give you this Eddie," she said pulling the bracelet from her wrist," you made it for me yesterday…can you believe that…we were on a beach having fun catching fish, and you gave this to me- so i'd like you to have it back. For safe keeping." He held her bracelet in his hand and smiled at Gloria. "thanks sis'" he said and left the room admiring the charm. Gloria felt the lump in her throat rise and stood up, "okay lets go Henry"

He held the kitchen door open for her and handed her the leather jacket, then made his way to the front door and peered inside his mothers bedroom. She was lying peacefully in her bed, and he sighed pulling the door closed slowly.

Eddie came running from his room carrying something in his hand, and pulled on Gloria's hand. She stopped and turned around, "what is it Eddie? are you okay?" Eddie nodded vigorously and held out a silvery shiny toy cap gun, "to keep away the pod people!" he said and handed her the gun.

She smiled and looked quizzically at Henry, then bent down to kiss Eddies head,"thank you Eddie," she said, then gave him a huge sisterly hug and tucked the gun into her pocket, then followed Henry into the stairwell. Henry winked at his brother, then pointed his finger at him,like a finger gun. Then he cocked his thumb down and smiled, closing the door on Eddie.


	22. Buicks & Lowmen

They passed the bikes in the stairs and Henry stopped,grabbing the handlebars of the largest one propped against the wall. Gloria was wrestling her way into the leather jacket she had been given, flapping the sleeves up and down like Houdini trying to escape from his straight jacket."how far away is this guy?" Henry asked, tugging at the bike."I left him by the bridge at Throgs point" Gloria replied, lowering her voice as the light went on in Dora's flat. Henry put his finger to his mouth and pointed to the grubby door, then pulled free the bike. The other bike leaning against his tinged as the bell was struck by the rubber grip. Gloria moved forward and separated the bikes as Henry pulled his free, then nodded to the front door. She followed him slowly as he held open the door and then slid the bike past him into the chill of the night.

The road was still empty and they more or less retraced Gloria's tracks back to the basketball court in no time at all. She realised that the one thing that Roland's handcrafted Billy bumbler moccasins were not suitable for was cycling."Henry, a minute…I want to show you something over there, in the playground" she peeled of the road and bumped the bike up onto the curb and into the high fenced basketball courts where she had rested earlier. Henry squeezed the brake and skidded the back wheel around his planted foot and pedaled back to Gloria, "I thought we was in a hurry?" He asked as he bunny hopped the curb effortlessly. "We are, it will only take a minute Henry, I want to show you something on the bench over there" she pointed to the nearest court. He sighed and shook his head wondering what it was exactly he thought he was doing with the girl claiming to be his long dead sister. Standing on his pedals and following Gloria he weaved the front tyre around the broken bottles until he lined up next to Gloria who was looking confused, "I don't understand…it was here..on this seat. I know it was, I saw it only an hour ago!" she said running her fingers over the wooden bench where Eddie had carved out the three of them fishing for Henry's Moby Dick. "We came down here to shoot hoops Henry, you and me…and Eddie used to watch us play." She began. Henry listened and looked around the graffiti riddled playground, worried,"Not here you didn't. I wouldn't set foot in these courts unless I wanted to wear my tongue as a necktie lady- do ya know whose turf this is?" He said sheepishly, looking around to make sure their were no loiterers eager to pounce on them from the sheds. Gloria turned, "We played here all the time Henry, this was everyone's turf" Henry laughed and jiggled the bike over to the bench, leaning down and spitting on the plank used as a seat. He wiped the graffiti clean until the blue coffin emerged from the murk. "Coffin hunters play here Gloria…you don't mess with the Coffin on…we better make like a tree, I don't like this place" He said side stepping his bike from the bench as he straddled the bar, and mounting it again. She looked at the sprayed coffin on the bench and ran her finger along the shape Coffin Hunters she had never heard of them. She turned, confused, and followed Henry out of the run down and abandoned basket ball court.

Henry waited by the gate-less entrance, gazing down at the broken discarded beer bottles as his thoughts wandered. The sound of a distant car engine gurgled and growled from a block behind the basketball courts, and his ears pricked. Gloria was maneuvering her bike around the rubbish slowly when Henry looked back, "you said something back at my Ma's house I wanna hear again," he began, as the growling engine faded up the street," you said, where _you_ come from I was run over and killed…right?" He lent over the handlebars as Gloria stopped next to him. She paused, then nodded,"that's right. Me and Eddie were mucking about with our rods by the side of the road. He wanted the big one, you know the one with the fancy lure you found in dads old fishing tackle box." Henry smiled, "the red one with the red feathers?" he added. She smiled back at him."yeh, the red one with the feathers. Any way I wanted that one, but he insisted – you know what he's like. He pulled and I pulled, and before you know it – we were on the road. You were busy packing the reels into your pack…" She looked up and saw he was playing the scene back in his mind. "I remember," he sighed," you and Eddie were screaming at each other, he was yanking at the rod and you were way out on the road…I didn't…I couldn't…the Fury was too fast. Hell I didn't even see the driver. One minute Selina was there, the next …" he trailed off, "…I would have done anything to save her, hell I tried…I should'a been faster…but the car…the car was…it was like it was waiting to pounce, ya know what i mean. I was just too damn slow."

Gloria sat uncomfortably on the bike seat and reached over to Henry's hand, "Its okay, I understand. But do you understand that what _I saw_ was you saving me…and Eddie that day. You _did_ save me,you saved us both Henry, by sacrificing yourself, you _were_ fast enough, and the Buick missed us both Henry, the bastard missed us!" She smiled at him, the sound of another engine gunned into life from the street behind them.

Henry smiled, but it was unconvincing, "C'mon we'd better get going- folks are waking and setting off for work- roads are gonna get busy soon" He clapped Gloria's hand and pushed off, Gloria did likewise as one of the circling cars turned into the street behind them.

Henry had only gotten a few hundred yards down the pavement when he spotted the traffic lights changing ahead. The two vehicles that had been circling the courts ignored the flashing amber as it turned to red, and turned into the street where Gloria and Henry were now cycling. He quickly hit the breaks hard, his back wheel lifting from the ground as he turned back to Gloria "Gloria," he called out over the sound over the approaching vehicles and she stopped along side him, "Yeh, what is it Henry?"

"what colour did you say that the Buick that hit me was?" his face screwed up as he asked her. Gloria nodded, "Yeh' a classy looking one – you know – electric blue with lots of shiny chrome, a James dean look, why?" she said squinting through the headlights from the approaching roaring cars. The two cars revved as they approached the stationary otherworldly sibling's.

"MOVE!" he shouted, and jumped from his bike, dragging Gloria from hers. They rolled over the grassy hedge divider as the two oncoming vehicles mounted the curb and destroyed the discarded bikes. The shiny hub cabs flew from the rims of the cars as the sparks from underneath them lit up the pavement. Both drivers seemed to be jostling for the right to the kill, the electric blue Buick slamming against the cherry red Chrysler Fury in a screeching tearing of side panels and paintwork. The crunching sound of kerb stone on metal echoed in the street as Henry rolled to his feet and pulled up a distraught Gloria.

"Shit, run Gloria…up there, to the trees!" He shouted as the two cars collided together again like dodgem cars, and smashed through the basketball court fencing making their sweeping turns back around again. The bikes, still stuck underneath the chassis of each car, scraped grooves into the road as mangled pieces were churned from under the wheels and flipped from behind the cars. Henry dare not look back, instead he pulled Gloria up the hill and into the trees. "Through here quick!" he screamed as the cars rounded for a second attempt, mounting the curb and destroying the hedge row that Henry and Gloria had managed to escape over.

They ran deeper into the trees, as the hungry cars revved, gurgling throaty roars echoed behind them, each of cars circled on the grassy embankment like angry sharks waiting to feast. The canopy above them shrouded Henry and Gloria in the cloak of the fading dawn darkness, the leafy branches preventing the early morning sunrise from silhouetting them and giving away their position.

They were safe…for now.


	23. Cuban Heels & Screeching Wheels

Both cars stopped at the edge of the tree line as Henry placed his hand over Gloria's mouth and raised his finger to his, "shhhhh" he hissed as both engines idled 50 feet from there punched him and wriggled free. To Henry, it sounded like both the cars exhaust mufflers had been gutted, the meaty noise made his hair stand on end, and it seemed both drivers were itching to hit the pedal again and gun straight through the trees just to get to them. From the undergrowth they could just make out the lower sills of the cars, and as Henry held his breath, he noticed the passenger side door of the Blue Buick open, and a Cuban heeled boot emerged, planting itself into the muddy embankment. The passenger door of the red Chrysler then swung open and a pair of winkle picker boots jumped out and quickly rounded the front end of the car to meet with the owner of the Cubans. The heavy yellow raincoat flapped around the legs of winkle picker as he growled something and pushed Cuban Heels backward. Cuban heels stumbled backward and cried out in objection sounding like a rather upset bird fending for its territory. Winkle picker screeched out again and this time swung a fist at Cuban heels and connected with a thud, knocking Cuban Heel flying against the bonnet of his idling car. The Buick's engine roared in disapproval as Cuban Heels slid down the grill clutching his face. Gloria let out a yelp when she saw the face of the man as he fell, but Henry pushed her down harder into the fallen leaves and prayed they hadn't heard them both.

Winkle picker was standing over the bloody faced man on the ground as he clutched his jaw, but now his talking was muffled and more subdued as he reached down and held out his hand for Cuban Heel. Cuban Heel wiped the blood from his face onto his yellow trench coat , then grabbed Winkle pickers outstretched palm, and was effortlessly pulled up. More muffled talk between them continued as Henry dared a peak, but he wished he hadn't. What he saw was beyond his comprehension The man wearing the winkle pickers looked like he was wearing some sort of animal mask, only as he watched, Henry could see the flappy horse like lips making fast vowel shapes and cursing at the other man. The other man, man being used as loose as possible seemed to be wiping the blood from his long nose, only the more Henry looked at it , the more it resembled a beak. Its a freakin' birdman! he thought as Gloria slapped his hand from her head and looked up. The two men strode back to their respective vehicles and the doors banged shut. They both watched as the muscle cars reversed down the hill and bounced back down onto the street. The engines roared again and they sped of, disappearing down the road in a plume of exhaust fumes .Gloria turned to Henry slack jawed and he looked wide eyed back at her.

"What the fuck were they?" Henry sighed, as Gloria rolled onto her back and covered her mouth in shock.

"what the fuck was that all about…huh…did you see that, i mean DID YOU JUST SEE THAT!" Henry rolled onto his back and grabbed his chest. "Oh brother, I think I just pissed myself!" he added, and Gloria looked over to him…and began to snigger through her cupped hand. "WHAT, whats so funny ?" He frowned. Gloria, who was now chuckling, removed her hand from her mouth,"…I think I bet you to it Henry…" she laughed clutching her aching throat.

"Did you see those things…oh…my…god. what were they?" she said pausing between the oh, and the my, and the god.

"I don't know, but that red car has been hanging about this place ever since it rolled you sis…" he began. Gloria turned, her eyes wide with realisation, "…You believe me then Henry. You believe me that I am Selina then?"

Henry turned and smiled, "man…they way you ran up that hill… and dived into this hole- how could i forget that spastic Jetty dive of yours! You nearly took me out with those flapping legs of yours. And who else could laugh off an attack of killer fuckin' cars and weird lookin' death squad birdmen!"

Gloria kicked out at Henry with her muddied bumbler moccasins, "Hey… don't forget I'm older than you now, and i'll kick that spindly ass of yours!" She said soaking up the moment with her brother , a feeling she had not had for too many years. Henry, still confused,frowned, "yeh, how does that work, what are you like 16…17?"

Gloria ignored his question, " Listen Henry,we gotta go now,we gotta get to speedy now. I've been away too long!" Henry agreed, getting to his feet and pulling her from the ground. "sure thing big sis, but we gotta stay off the roads , for now anyway….18 you aint any older that 18?" They brushed the leaves from each others backs, Henry still trying to get his head around the fact that the girl…woman in front of him was in fact his dead sister.

"so…if its 1971here…and i'm 15…and your, come on help me here…" Henry continued to ask his questions as they ran deeper into the park, "Gloria, help me out here, what year did…how did…man this is one helluva head trip!"

Gloria gave him a sad look," yeh, I gave up a while back with it too Henry, come on, Speedy needs us"


	24. Ka gets a wheel change

Speedy Parker raised his head slowly from the cardboard underneath his heavy head, and felt the warmth of the sun on his brow as the rays shone into the tunnels cold interior. He wiped his cotton mouth with a shaky hand and called out, "Gloria…Sl'eena(cough)" and heard only the echo reply. He had done all he could do now. He had helped Ka, and served the white, as much as he possibly could, now all he could do was wait out his remaining time and recount all he had done with his many years. He smiled as he lay back down, and began to hum an old Sinatra tune from his younger days, realising that now it was he that was in the autumn of his years. They were very good years.

Had he done enough to protect the white? Speedy hoped so, their was little time to do anymore now anyway. He had brought together the chess pieces and positioned them on the board the best he could, although some pieces were gone for ever now, and others not quite what Ka had in mind. But it was the best he could do. Without the prisoner, and the lady of shadows, the gunslingers Ka Tet was incomplete. But with all the doors speedy had travelled, and all the other worlds he had visited, he had hopefully brought together what was really required to save the beam. Or so he so very much hoped. He had watched the Dean siblings fate in each of the worlds he had visited. Never once was their a happy ending for the two brothers and sister. They were part of Ka's wheel, and seemed to be hunted down by the cruel hand of fate wherever Speedy had ventured. If not by Ka, then by those who served to destroy the beam, those who served the crimson King. The lady of shadows story was even sadder. She had been sent her own personal harbinger of death, her own follower of doom. And he was taking his time to destroy her one piece at a time- and loving it.

Their was the one, however, that he was unsure about, and this one worried him.

_when is a door not a door? when it's ajar... _speedy thought, and a deep frown appeared on his brow. Have I made the right choice Abraham? he mumbled, as self doubt crept back into his weak and weary head, is my oath fulfilled?

His time was all but over, and as Speedy lay their waiting for Gloria to return, he saw his path- and contemplated the long walk to the clearing with a smile. His blind white eyes blinked, and the tears trickled down into his ears, as he faded. Their was no pain now, only the voices radiating from the rays of the sun, as they washed over his face filling him with joy.

Speedy Parker basked in the warmth, just another warrior of the White ready to move on to the clearing, and he wept. Ka was a wheel, and his long and sporadic journey through many worlds had turned its last turn.

The sun slowly began its journey rising into the sky, lighting the world where Speedy Parker slowly world far removed from where Eli Parker had started his own important journey, and met the child who would hopefully help bring an end to Roland's pitiful journey.


	25. 3: Camp fire

Dale poked the fire with a stick as he squatted on his bent knees, checking over to see the gunslinger who still lay motionless on his roll out. They had spent several days following the meandering stream as they walked through a narrow steep sided valley,swapping tales of intrigue and heroism of the men, and women, they had fought alongside.

None more fantastical than the tale of survival that Roland had told Dale by the light of the campfire last night. The tale of the Battle at Jericho Hill. Dale had asked Roland about the Dark Tower, and his reason for seeking such a place. Roland had remained quiet for a long time, and Dale presumed that was that, but Roland began with a tale so sad that he had thought at the time of the telling, how horrendous this must have been for Roland to watch all of his comrades, all of his Gunslinging friends to fall and be defeated in such a gruesome way by the man named Farson. This man, this Good man, had sounded like a man determined to destroy all worlds, and Dale speculated who Farson's twin might be from his world. And this brought him to another conclusion. If all the gunslingers were gone, who was left to fight the Good man? Who was left to take up arms against such a tyrant whose only goal in life was to destroy all in his path. And with an army of rusted machines and…robots…really?

For now Dale tried to take it all in, another situation that defied belief. He stretched his back and took in the view of the steep, rocky scree slope above them, lifted the canteen to his mouth and drank from the belly skin of whatever it was Roland had killed. Cujo lifted his head from its crossed paws, and turned it towards the tree line. He whined for a moment then looked up toward Dale with a short throaty growl, then let his tongue loll from its mouth and began panting happily. Dale poured some water into his hand and lowered it to the dog to drink, but Cujo just ignored the offering and peered around him, "suit yourself mutt, go get your own water in future." Dale replied turning his palm over and letting the water fall to the ground. He followed the dogs gaze over to the tree line but saw nothing, and walked in the other direction to relieve himself. The forest valley was quiet, no sounds but the wind through the leaves above and the gurgling steam below. "life for the crops!" he smiled zipping himself up again and turned to see Roland on his feet, "it lives!" he beamed.

"You move around the camp like a drunken Throcken, It served me none to listen to your stumbles any further." Roland said rolling his head and cracking the joints of his neck. "your dog smells something, over there,"Dale said, pointing back down into the forest," must be his breakfast time!"

Roland watched the dog for a moment, then casually turned up to the high tree line at the far end of the clearing,"we are being followed," he began,"rather clumsily too" the gunslinger added casually. Dale stopped and tried to peer inside the gloom, but could see little,"is it your clown again? or more demons?" Roland raised a faint smile and drank from the stewing cup by the fire. "No,no clown. Nor is it a demon. This one wears perfume and fumbles in the dark like a scared child."

Dale waited for Roland to make a plan, a plan to sneak around and capture the loiterer, but he said no more as he packed his gunna and refilled his water pouch. "well aren't we going to do something? what if they pounce in the night and try to steal our guns or slit our throats. shouldn't we set a trap for them?" Dale asked hands out waiting for a reply.

Roland was amused by this and the crack of a smile widened further," I think we would both choke on the perfumed stench before they got within a wheel of our camp. No we will continue onward for now, We have little to gain in surprising our stalker yet."

A flurry of excited birds flew into the sky further up the valley and both men looked on as the sound of crashing trees echoed in the hills several miles away. They heard the panicked cries from more birds and Dale turned to Roland,as Zoltan's screeches joined in the panicked chorus fromhis own perch. "Okay Roland which way now?" he said concerned, as the sound of the crashing timbers became louder. Roland surveyed the canyon they had entered and realised their was only two options. Go back the way they had came, which would mean backtracking for several days, or continue onward and face whatever it was causing the ground to quake ahead."We go on Peacekeeper,there is a path up the slope ahead. We can gain the higher ground, maybe outflank whatever stirs in the valley ahead.

They heard more trees come crashing to the valley floor as they gathered their possessions, then set off cautiously, Roland taking point and Dale turning nervously behind him. Cujo casually drank from the stream, unperturbed by the cracking of the timber ahead, then joined the others on the slope.


	26. 3: Breaking bows

"So let me get this straight – what you're telling me, is that this guy Farson is set on destroying the beam…right?" Dale said scrambling up the loose rocks, watching them cascade back down the slope they climbed. Roland was like a mountain goat, and already several strides ahead with cujo. "Farson, no… their were other Harriers that conspired with The good man. Broadcloak was another who walked under the flag of the unblinking Fannin too. Far too many names and faces, I forget them all… but my fathers, and I will avenge every fallen gunslinger upon that hill if the gods will it!" The gunslinger replied without slowing or turning around.

"So who was the black dude then? whats his game in all this?" Dale puffed, it had been too long since his military fitness had been topped up. Roland stopped this time and straightened, looking back over his shoulders as more trees cracked in the valley below. They were now almost above the tree line and could see the tips of the shuddering bows ahead as they bent and shook. "Walter O Dim, Marten, the man in black…I think the demon goes by many names now. He wanders and causes chaos wherever chaos is required…mayhaps he is the Devil himself , but I doubt that. No I think he is nowt but the Crimson Kings Dragon…sent to do his masters bidding."

Another cracking bow below, and this time it was joined by a huge roar, causing Dale to shudder, "Ho..lee shit Roland, what was that?" Roland slapped leather, resting his hand on the sandalwood grip but not pulling it from the holster, "Come on, we are not safe on this slope"

They scrambled along the small goat path as the roaring neared. Above them, loose rocks tumbled and slid down the slope towards them, displacing larger rocks until small avalanches began tumbling towards the two men. Cujo bounded higher barking madly as the beast below roared again. Each step became hazardous, one wrong footfall by either gunslinger and the goat track would give, sending the precariously balanced rocks that scattered the cliffs down the slope.

Roland turned and checked out the ridge, noticing a narrow goat track traversing a steep craggy cliff ahead of them. The track passed under the overhanging cliff and meandered over what looked like the remains of a past landslide . It overlooked the valley and a grassy clearing, which would be a perfect vantage point to allow them to see whatever the beast was that tracked them."This way peacekeeper, to the rocks then up to that cliff face" he pointed high to the grassy cliff face that overlooked them. Dale nodded as the backpack slipped on his back sending him to his knees again, holding out his hand for Roland,he shouted "help me up"the gunslinger reached out and grabbed his forearm,"we must be careful peacekeeper, lose the tent- it handicaps you, we have little time. "I got it, go…lets get up there" he replied, swinging Speedy Parker's man bag around his back.

They were within twenty feet of the cliff when the beast came crashing through the clearing below them, bellowing with rage and paws that swung like huge clawed pendulums, tearing trees from the ground as it forced its way through into the grassy was at least 50ft high, with pieces of its pelt hanging from open wounds. Bright flashes, arcing from several deep slashes across the bears belly, crackled to the ground like molten welding sparks, as the beast stumbled forward.

"By the Gods…SHARDIK!" Roland turned and gasped, as the huge bear looked up and grappled with a fur tree no more than 10 feet below Dale."DALE FOR YOUR FATHERS SAKE RUN!" Roland ordered and drew his weapon. The bear roared, its huge mouth opened wide and Roland was sure he saw the beasts tonsils quiver inside the teethy chasm. The bear swiped out at the slope and the track disappeared below Dales feet, and the peacekeeper tumbled backwards. Roland raised his sandal wood death engine and fired into the beasts mouth as the bear swung again, this time taking the ground from beneath the gunslinger and he fell backwards clawing at the tumbling rocks.

The two gunslingers fell with the rocks and tumbled down the slope as the monster bear staggered backward away from the dust and the rocks, clutching at its wounded throat.


	27. 3:Rubble & Dust

Dale lay on his back pack like an upturned turtle,as Shardik the bear stumbled back, paws up at his bloodied face. Roland had managed four aimed shots at the bear before the embankment had given way to the bears heavy clouts and sent him sliding, but each bullet fired had done some serious damage to the huge aggressor. The first two shots had impacted inside the bears mouth, scattering teeth and pieces of its tongue onto the forest floor. The third shot had exploded the beasts left eyeball, which now hung from the bloody eye socket sparking and oozing milky liquid. The fourth shot had struck high, skimming the spinning cap atop Shardik's head as caused it to become erratic as if the gyro had been misaligned. Dale could hear the whining of ball bearings or a cog in a gear box grinding and clunking as the bear shook its head like a stunned boxer.

Roland was half buried under the rubble, his legs stuck under the weight of the small fallen rocks. He had managed to hold onto his fathers gun though and was trying hard to peer through the dust as it began to settle."Dale, are you well- to me if it does you"he called,coughing out the muck in his mouth."Roland over here, are you okay?" Dale shouted back as the bear roared with anger. Zoltan had taken flight and was swooping the bear, distracting it from the men now scrambling beneath its shuffling feet, and Cujo could be heard barking away from half way up the slope.

Dale unslung the tent from his back, and rolled over, spluttering and spitting out the dust he had inhaled on the way down. His lungs burned with each breath as he crawled over to where Roland's shouts could be heard. After a moment scrambling in the dust cloud, he began to see shapes through hit raw eyes. Dales eyes were weeping heavily, each blink seemed to scour his eyeballs like a ball of barbed wire, but he could just about make out a shape. Roland's half buried torso poked from the rocks, and Dale began digging the gunslinger from the rubble. "No time peacekeeper, you must kill the bear before it realises where we are." Dale nodded and took the Sandalwood from Roland's hand and staggered back down the avalanched mound. Roland continued to dig away as he watched Dale disappear inside the cloud.

Dale heard the crow above as the bear swiped out blindly, and he lifted the gun into the air. His eyes burnt fiercely as he wiped at them, trying in vain to clear the particles of dirt that clung to his eyeball. He was almost blinded himself as he shuffled forward into the bears massive leg. He turned and fired two shots, one into the beasts leg, the other high and wide of the target. The chamber clicked empty on the third hammer fall. In an instant, Shardik swiped down hard, as if swatting a mosquito that had just landed on his skin, and struck Dale with a glancing blow. He was lucky, the claws were turned outward and it was only the back slap of the paw that sent him back the way he had came. He crashed back down empty handed,skidding next to Roland. Dale cried out, rolled over, and clutched his chest. Roland realised his pathway was soon to show itself, and he cursed the gods. Dale quickly got to his feet and stood over the gunslinger, still clutching his ribs, and pulled out his browning with his left hand.

"Go, leave me peacekeeper. You can do little here now but walk your own path." Roland ordered, but Dale just stared down at the gunslinger with red weeping eyes and smiled, "No chance butch, this is my fight too!"

The dust cloud settled and the lumbering bear stopped for a moment, and comically wiped the blood from his good eye and lowered his gaze on the two gunslingers by his feet. His mouth seemed to form into a wide grin as he opened his arms wide and readied himself for a hug. He slowly bent down as Dale blindly lifted his gun, "where is he Roland, I can't see shit here…you gotta direct me here Butch!"

Roland lifted his head, the familiar perfume wafted into his nostrils…


	28. 3:Ray-bans & Rocks

The door was ajar, swinging open in the breeze when he woke on the beach. He had no recollection of how he had got there, only where he had just been was bad, they had almost caught him. All he remembered was that he was a Do bee, because Don't bees get caught.

He lifted his hand and felt for the gash in his head with a wince, bastards nearly got me that time he shuddered, but then a smile separated his lips, nearly. He stood up and turned to face the open door that hung in the air before him and wondered how it managed to stay suspended like that. Magicians and their tricks he thought, looking down at his bloodied palm dismayed. He walked around the wooden structure, slowly examining it, his shiny brogue shoes glinting in the sun as he ran his hand over the smooth wooden panel. His hand fondled the door as it smudged his blood around and around, almost in a trance like state, before he lifted the crooked sunglasses back onto the arch of his nose, and straightened his neck tie.

In the distance he could here the sound of a crow squawking, and saw the circling shape on the horizon, and decided to leave the beach and make for the tree line. He adjusted his fine Armani suit jacket and strode off into the forest.

From his hiding place in the shadows,he watched the four strangers approach the door on the beach. Only two had entered the forest where he lay, the other two- the familiar girl and the old man, simply vanished on the beach. He listened to them palaver by the camp fires and waited until they moved on, before rummaging for scraps they had discarded. The one calling himself the gunslinger prattled on about a familiar name, -the man in black, as the other listened. He called himself the Peacekeeper, and listened and made jokes. Only the dog seemed to take any notice of him, sniffing the scented air every now and then. But he was happy to stay back and watch them from afar. At night he would back track to caves passed previously, and light his own camp fire, with the lighter he used to light his bosses cigars, keeping the creatures that wriggled in the undergrowth at bay.

After almost a week of sleeping in his $2000 suit, he found his small travel handy deodorant can that he kept close to hand, almost depleted. He was now cold, hungry, and lost. The forest had become a long thin valley with steep sloping sides, and he contemplated giving up spying on the two men and just wandering into there campsite and introducing himself, when the thunderous cracking of the trees began. The howling roars of the beast ahead sent him back to his last camp site, scurrying up the animal track, high into cliffs where he watched the two men scramble up the steep slope trying to reach higher ground.

Now he watches from high on the cliff, as the bear attacks. The two men stand little chance as the slope gives way and they tumble to the valley floor. The gunslinger man is fast, he shoots and shoots and shoots again, and he watches the bear stagger back in shock. But the man still falls with the rocks and the dust below. Only the dog remains, barking at its shadow and the man smiles, feeling the familiar swelling in his trousers.

He leans over the edge of the cliff, and the dog turns his way and barks.

He smiles and puts his finger to his lips and runs his hand over the rough ground until he finds what he is after.

He watches as the bear sways and staggers, and gunfire echoes once more and the bear slowly closes the gap between it and the two gunslingers.

He smiles as the shiny target atop the bears head emerging from the dust cloud, and he watches it turn erratically.

He lifts the boulder and caresses the jagged projectile tenderly.

Now he can help the men, if he chooses- for this is his hobby. This is what he does.

Jack Mort lifts the boulder above his head and counts down the biggest depth charge of his life, his legs quiver in anticipation as he licks his lips…


	29. 3: Two's Company

Jack Mort watched the bear with its silver spinning radar worn like a tweedle dee hat and counted, his judgement honed to such an accurate state over the years, that he could now predetermine most targets movements to within a hairs breadth. He let the boulder fall and peered over the edge of the cliff face, holding his breath as it fell and gathered momentum.

Dale raised his browning and fired into the beasts belly as Roland directed him, but the stumbling bear was now on them and reaching down to the peacekeeper. Dale was shaking his head and trying to blink away some of the sand in his eyes, and at the same time, shoot the bear in at least one vital organ. "The HEAD, AIM FOR HIS HEAD PEACEKEEPER" Roland shouted as he pushed down on the pile of rubble for all he was lent back and kicked his legs underneath what felt like a ton of rocks. "I cant see shit here Roland, I have nothing to aim at!" Dale shouted back as Shardik bent down.

"THEN DON"T AIM WITH THE EYE…SHOOT WITH THE MIND, FOR YOUR FATHERS SAKE DALE, FOR ALL OUR SAKES!" Roland cursed now as he felt the hot air of Shardik pungent breath bellow down on him. He gagged, and fell back against the rocks and stared what he saw confused him for a moment.

Dale steadied his aim, lifting the pistol high and fired off two shots into the bears neck. Shardik roared and flinched back, just as the boulder that dropped from the sky struck the side of the rotating radar cap with a dull clunk, and then spun off, dropping in between Roland And Dale with a deep thud. Dale jumped and spun around, "ROLAND?" Shardik squinted comically as it seemed to shrug its shoulders up to protect its head, and looked stupefied for a moment as the damaged radar caps' gyro began to wobble out of sync. Shardik actually reached up to feel the whirling unit on his head as if it were a bump he had just received from a frying pan in a cartoon. Roland watched bemused as the man peering over the cliff above him raised his fist in celebration, then disappeared from view.

Dale stumbled, firing another three rounds blindly into the air shouting for updates, "ROLAND?…Whats going on? Roland, I cant see shit here- help me out!" But Roland was watching as the figure returned above, with what looked like another rock. He watched the figure steady his aim, plant his feet on the ground with a shuffle, and then he hurtled the rock from the cliff- directly onto Shardik's head once more!

The bear let out an almighty roar as the rock smashed the spinning radar completely off this time, shearing it from the stumpy gyro that poked into the air turning feebly in slow stuttering movements. Another jig from the man above as Dale let off another two rounds, one of them actually striking Shardik's remaining eye globe, and sending the bear stumbling backwards into the tree. Roland watched in disbelief as the huge beast drunkenly stumbled against the line of trees, took five steps to the side as if on the deck of a pitching boat, stopped, then fell forward flat on its bloodied face.

Dale was still poised over Roland with his pistol drawn, and actually fired another two rounds into the bears backside as it fell, "ENOUGH, enough Dale- Shardik has fallen!" Dale lowered his weapon and wiped the fluid running from his eyes, and fell to the ground exhausted. "I Killed him?" he said in surprise. Roland looked up at the cliff to see the figure had gone, but the waft of his perfume lingered, "With a little help- yes. You killed it! Now come help me out off this fixit I have myself in"

Dales red eyes blinked wide as he slowly dragged his body over to Roland's, his ribs throbbing now.

"I think we have company peacekeeper, our stalker has finally shown us his watch me cards, so be ready" Roland warned, as Shardik's growling motors moaned and fizzled out. It lifted one of its huge paws as if feeling for the ropes in a boxing ring, then Shardik ,one of the great guardians of the beam, popped its last remaining photonic fuse- and fell silent.

Dale finally dug Roland out, and pulled him from the rumble- exhausted. They lay on their backs for a moment, until Roland struggled to his feet and pulled free his gunna sack. He lifted his water skin pouch and opened the nozzle, pouring the water over Dales face, "be still Peacekeeper, let it wash out" Dale wiped the dust from his face as he gulped down the water into his burning throat. Roland sat back down and took a drink himself, then they both just sat there, like a pair of old men doing yoga on the lawn, staring at Shardik's carcass sprawled on the grass.

Dale turned, and sighed,"So…Shardik…gonna fill me in Roland, any more surprises in the forest?" Roland removed his hat and wiped his brow with his cuff, then silently began smacking the wide brim against his thigh to remove the dust, "mid world holds many surprises, but for now, I think we worry about this one" he pointed a nod over to the side and Dale turned. Behind Cujo strolled the most unlikely dressed person Dale expected to see, with his red braces and his suit jacket slung over his shoulder as if he was taking a stroll down wall street.


	30. 3:Whistling For The Wind

"Good Morning, do any of you fine gents have the correct time," Jack Mort said peering over his ray ban sunglasses and shaking his digital wristwatch by his ear, "only my timepiece seems to think its seventy three minutes past one!" He smiled pleasantly, bending down and picking up the gunslingers discarded sandalwood pistol, with its true blue gun barrel caked in Shardik's bloody goo.  
Roland watched the stranger lift his fathers gun from the puddle of goo, but did not reach for its twin. Instead, he turned to Dale who was now looking at his own wrist and shaking his own digital timepiece, "hah seventy three minutes past one, what are the odds Roland?" he smiled.

"Time marches to a different beat of the drums now, Peacekeeper" Roland said slowly rising to his feet, "long days, pleasant nights stranger" he added cautiously to the stranger.  
Jack Mort stared at the gun for a moment,admiring the fine motif on the grips, then quickly turned it over and held it out the sandalwood grip to Roland as he walked over to him, " …And to you…yours I take it?" he said, handing over the pistol by the hot barrel. Roland nodded, and slowly took the weapon from jack, sliding it back into its leather.

"We owe you a debt, stranger. Your aim is surely true," Roland nodded his head, as Jack bowed his, and outstretched his arms in an attempted bow, "Jack Mort, bear killer,at your service" Roland nodded again and tapped his throat, "Roland Deschain of Gilead, Son of Steven. and this is Dale Barbra of Chester Mill"  
Dale was hugging his chest, but managed a how'do wave as he stood up and made his way over.  
Jack Mort held out his hand for Roland, who just looked at it for a moment, but it was Dale who stood walked over and shook it, "so, did you lose your coach party?" Dale smiled. Jack laughed, then turned to the bear, " No, no coach party" he began only a lynching party he thought "So what exactly is that?" He said turning round and admiring the huge fallen beast.

Roland sighed in wonder, and walked over to Shardik, its arms outstretched as if it was sunbathing,"This, I believe, is one of the twelve guardians of the beam- Shardik The great bear.A sight I never imagined i'd see let alone believe" he turned to Dale, with realisation on his face,"It means the beam is close, his beam that means the tower is neared than it has ever been!" At that moment Roland reached down for the horn that had been tied onto his belt. It was gone.

He stopped,turned quickly and scrambled back to the slope as Jack Mort and Dale looked on bemused, "By the Gods, Cuthbert's Horn…its gone!" he gasped, falling to the rubble again, and began to dig frantically. Dale turned and joined the gunslinger on the slope as Jack Mort looked on bemused.

"Is their anything I can do to be of assistance. I mean what is it that we are looking for?" He asked removing his sunglasses and sliding them into his shirt pocket. He was met with silence as Roland continued to search the surrounding area without success. Dale turned back to Jack Mort and waved him over, "the chief has lost his hearing trumpet, wanna give us a hand here…" he began, but was immediately lambasted by the Gunslinger. "This is no time for your childish jokes, peacekeeper." Roland frowned, his face full of anger," The Horn is all that is left of a blood oath I made to a dear friend,one who died trying to protect all that was left of the line of Eld," his voice was now almost a growl,"… and I will not have his death ridiculed. Cry Pardon Peacekeeper or be gone!" he demanded.

Dale stopped,and sat back on his knees,staring at the gunslingers blazing bombardier blue eyes"forgive me Roland, and Cry your pardon, another time and another place.I didn't think…I forget where i am. We will find your Horn." He said and offered out his hand. Roland paused,rubbed the side of his face, then accepted Dales hand.

"So be it."

It was Zoltan who found the Horn Of Eld,poking from the slope a few meters from the arguing Mort wandered over and looked over to the two men, then kicked the crow aside callously. Zoltan, still with the leather chord in its beak, flapped its wings and cried out. Jack bent down and plucked the Horns leather strap from Zoltan's beak and pulled the horn from the rubble. His eyes widened studying the fine ancient relic,and as he turned the horn upside down and watched the sand pour from it, he had the compelling impulse to blow it.

He shook it until no more grit fell out, then sheepishly turned to the two men again, but they were deep in conversation. Zoltan had flown to higher ground and was cleaning its wing unimpressed by the newcomers actions. Cujo was watching with fascination, tilting its head to the side, and letting its tongue fall out from its mouth as it panted away merrily.

Jacks gaze was now on the Horn, its engraved pattern meandering around the contours in fine Delicate swirls and golden leaves entwined around a single rose .His first thought was how magnificent it would be to hear the cry from the weapon, unusual, as he had never thought that a horn could be termed as such. The second thought that crossed his mind, was that he truly believed at that moment in time- he was the man for the job!

He turned once more to check, this time with no other thought than that of blowing the horn, and as he lifted the Horn to his puckered lips, he inhaled . Jack felt the ivory mouthpiece against his mouth and wondered how many kings had done likewise, and blew with all his might. At first, only his lungs made any noise as they struggled to pass the air through the horns reef, but then it came, the low resonating thunder from the end of the ivory echoed in their ears as he puffed, turning red in the face with the pitch change. The note lifted to a higher tone and Jack held it for a second, before it stepped back down nearer to the original deep pitch. He removed the Horn of Eld from his mouth feeling goosebumps rise on his arms, and then began to recite something from an old Kirk Douglas film he found rather apt,"Odin…_Odin_…send the winds to turn the tides!" he smiled, and posed like Tony Curtis the viking King, and turned to face the other two men.

Roland was on his feet in a second ,his clean holstered gun drawn and pointed straight at Jack Mort. His eyes blazed with fury as he fired off a shot from his fathers gun. "CRY YOUR PARDON MAGGOT! MOCK YE NOT AND CRY YOUR PARDON NOW! I COMMAND YOU TO LOWER THAT HORN!" Dale had never heard the fury quite like it, even the talking to moments earlier was pillow talk compared to this."DO IT NOW, FOOL!" Roland ordered,firing his pistol.

Jack spun around as the bullet sliced through his ear lobe and removed it from his cried out as he dropped his slung Armani suit jacket and slapped a hand over the bloody side of his gunslinger was on him in a flash, ripping the artifact from his other hand and pushing him to the ground."If I were you, I'd cry your pardon now, foolish word slinger, or let the gods damn you for eternity! Do you realise what you have just done?" Roland whispered through gritted teeth, spitting fury down on the panicked newcomer."Do you realise what call you have just sent out to all the barony keepers…Gods!" Roland hissed as his anger boiled.

Jack squirmed under The gunslingers dusty boot, pinned by the throat, mashing the blood across from his departed lobe against his cheek."forgive me, forgive my stupidity…i ..i dont know why i did that, it…it wasn't me….i ..i" he mumbled in a high pitch voice, staring up at the steel barrel of Roland's steadily aimed gun.

"Enough of your sniveling welps! you have desecrated my oath to a dear friend, and called on the gods in frivolity…They will see to your punishment, not I. Their is a saying from the old folks of our world.._Never whistle for the wind, unless you want the gods to blow_" Roland growled,stepping from Jack as Dale walked over and placed a hand on his aimed gun," Okay Roland, the guys sorry- ease up big wasn't to know. He's here to help…come on, ease up buddy!"

"yes, listen to your friend…I am here to help, please. I cry pardon…honestly I do!" jack added his eyes darting from the peacekeeper to the Gunslinger, not knowing what he had just done to offend.

Roland lowered his fathers gun, and stepped away, "Very well word slinger, but as I said, it is not my wrath that you need to cry pardon for…"

Dale walked over and extended a hand for a stunned Jack Mort to take," come on word slinger- i think he likes you- he has given you a nick name already!" Jack screwed his face up as he took dales hand and stood up wincing with pain. Dale looked at the flesh wound and smiled, "a love bite, nothing more!"

As Dale spoke, Odin sent the winds as ordered, bending the tree tops in the valley, and sending Zoltan gliding down onto the Gunslingers shoulder as he looked up and held out a hand.

"Their is a storm coming, best we find shelter soon" Roland said, wiping the horn of Eld and shaking his head in disgust. He replaced the leather bind on his belt, then returned to the slope for his gunna,bending down for Dales battered pack.


	31. 3:We Deal In Lead, Friend

Jack removed his tacky hand from his cheek, and saw for the second time in a week that it was crimson with his blood. He cursed as he watched the Gunslinger walk away with out so much as a glance back. He stood for a moment, unsure what to do next, as Dale joined his friend and took the man bag from him. _I'll cut him, I'll cut him when he sleeps. Then we'll see who cries pardon- the stupid lanky cowboy_.

Roland too was visibly agitated as Dale watched him collect his gunna sack, and the sight of the word slinger only added to his frustrations. Dale, still clutching his bruised and battered ribs wandered up to him and slapped his back, "You could'a killed him Roland, I dunno if it was skill or luck that you didn't!" Now it was Roland's turn to curse "I was doing just fine until you and that…that," he looked Jack up and down, noticing the mans indecision whether to act or yield, and then noticing the bright red hand he was now sporting like a stuffy guy on reapers eve,"…that stuffy guy made his appearance!" Dale frowned at this, then turned and gave a thumbs up to Jack, "The… er… stuffy guy was only fuckin' around Roland, cut him some slack- no big deal!" before he said it, he realised it was the wrong thing to say,"I mean, no big deal to him…he was just goofing off! I know you are pissed, believe me I know" he corrected, checking Roland's eyes for that flash off anger to ignite again. Thankfully it had been doused for now. The freshening wind was picking up now, and Zoltan found it tricky to stay perched on Roland's shoulder. Roland gazed into the falling raindrops as they splashed on his face, and noted the quickening of the storm as it approached, his finger wound around by his site impatiently as he waited for Dales jawing to pass.

"He was in no danger,Peacekeeper" he growled, "I warrant he has had worse in his time! As for him Fucking around- the Horn of Eld is is the last thing he should choose to do so. Had Cuthbert Allgood stood here- I want that perfumed fool would be picking up his broken teeth from the gravel by now." Dale made a note of the name and put it to the back of his mind,"Yeh, okay. But how about you ease off the dude, until we get to know him- what do you say?" Roland pondered the suggestion for a moment as he switched his gazed upon the bandage on his damaged hand, then looked up at Dale with a sigh,"We are well met peacekeeper,and once again you speak true, watch me!" he said, and tapped his forehead. Dale, still not getting the gesture, saluted Roland back with a sweeping general Patton forearm as the rain began to fall.

"okay,so now can we get a picture of the big game we just killed and then get the hell outta here before The bear starts stinking the place up!" Dale said as he slapped Shardik's manky hide, and then called Jack over.

Roland stared back at the darkening sky, squinting through the rain, hoping that the drop in temperature did not signify a starkblast. He doubted it, but scanned the area for a suitable retreat, just in case.

Jack Mort was not quite with it, he had sort of "popped" off for a moment as he gazed down to his bloody hand, and the swirling pattern that was starting to emerge in his palm like a watching eye. "…JACK!" Dale repeated, and Mort snapped out of his daydream and walked over to the two men cautiously reaching down for his discarded jacket. "So, whats the verdict from Yul Brynner- can I join the band or what?" he forced a smile at the gunslinger. Roland turned and held out a loose hand," Let us be well met- for now Jack Mort, and we will speak of this no more" Dale nodded and mimed the handshake Roland had to perform and Roland watched, then copied. Jacks smile was still being pushed out as he grabbed the gunslingers palm, and as he squeezed tighter he was still thinking about the hundred and one ways to take Roland out in his sleep. "Okay, we have ourselves a deal Mr Deschain" He looked over and saw Dale doing his best Steve Mqueen and lifted his three fingers in the air ,"We deal in lead friend" Jack liked this and smiled hitching his fingers in his belt.

Dale handed Jack the water skin and watched as he doused the bullet graze on his cheek that lead the way like a road sign to the missing ear lobe, then rummaged through Speedy's nick nacks inside his man bag for his travel first aid kit. Cujo was by his side waiting for something tasty to drop from the leather satchel, until he saw Roland move into the trees, and followed him.

Above them the heavens opened, and Odin unleashed his wrath.


	32. 3: Guardians & Beams

Roland fought through the pine trees, ducking under the low branches as he climbed the steep slope. Dale and Jack lingered by the fallen bear, still in wonder at the fallen beast as its mechanics hissed as it cooled. Jack noticed the reddish tint still emanating from the seems of the bear, its glow as the rain fell reminded him of the neon "Budweiser" beer sign he sat under at his local ale house. Dale noticed it too as he peeled back a loose flap of pelt hanging from Shardik's skull cap. "Whoa! take a gander at this thing Chico!" He gasped,peering inside the skull cavity. The sphere, roughly the size of a squash, glistened and pulsed weakly between an array of black suction cups keeping it centralized withing the bears head. The fibre optic type cabling that hung in bunches were patched to connectors and other gizmos inside, some hung free, discharging the energy that throbbed from the glowing orange tinted crystal ball. "Do you reckon it was its brain?" Jack said wondering at the sight. Dale moved over to let Jack closer to inspect,"I dunno, Could be- if so, we should smash it, just in case it does a bad guy wake up routine on us, as we high five outta the corral with our backs turned to it!"

Roland neared the cave and noticed smoke drifting from the mouth, black sooty smoke that belched out into the rainy evening air. He drew his revolver and turned back to see the other two still loitering at the foot of the slope, and cautiously proceeded to the smoky entrance. Suddenly their was a cry from deep within the cave, a pleading cry for help, "DEARBORNNNNNNNNN!" it croaked. Roland lifted his revolver and swung inside, aiming his barrel on the two figures illuminated by the dancing flames licking the cave wall inside.

Pennywise the foolish had the old man in what looked like a lovers embrace, stooped over the victim as if they had just finished a tango together and enjoying a romantic interlude. Only the old man in the clinch was an unwilling dance partner, and was feebly thumping at the clowns torso as he tried to struggle free, his long blue coat flapping beneath him.

"PENNYWISE!" Roland bellowed and watched the clown turning quickly from the old mans white bearded neck, his mouthful of pointed teeth covered in the old mans blood glinting let out a high pitched scream as his face contorted for a second, then the gunslinger was met with a sudden smile- and then an OOPS gesture as Pennywise raised his gloved hand to his mouth in mock sorrow. Roland fired his revolver, and Pennywise howled as he was thrown back into the fire raging to the rear of the cave, and tumbled down into the foreboding darkling darkness with a screaming old bearded man lay coughing on the ground,grasping at his neck with his long curled finger nails protruding awkwardly around it.

Roland ran to the fires edge and peered down into the sloping glinting chasm to finish off the clown, but what he heard was not the cries of the clown. The terrible sound of the thinny wafted up here…and something else…the cries of the dead.

"Ger' away from there gunslinger,Ger away from thee cursed thing if it does ya!" The old man croaked as he sat up. Roland turned and holstered his gun, then helped the stranger up."Did yis bring it,hmmmm? Did yis bring the mayhaps ball…hmmmm?" He croaked, looking at Roland with his old wise eyes. Roland pulled aside the old mans beard and checked the wound on his neck and saw the punctured bloody holes raked down his wrinkled skin.

"Tis nowt but a flesh wound Gunslinger,tells me thy has the fancy ball…the one that sparkles from within thee great guardian Shardik?" He said, the greedy gleam in his eyes sparkled. Roland looked at him with a frown,"I know not of any such fancy ball old man, tell me- are we well met, are you of the Manni folk?"

The old man chuckled stabbing a finger into Roland's chest and then patted him on his shoulder, "Well met…hahah….well met…..ho' 'tis a good one so it is Dearborn….I, we is well met, by Abraham's bosom thee and i are well. In my dreams mayhaps, and my nightfrights I, well met indeed. I in all my nightfrights so yee ar'" he wiped his beard from the spittle and sat up with the aid of a bemused Roland."Manni folks, aye, could say thy is of the Manni folks onca upon a long ago, before t'was sent west" Just then, Dale came crashing in through the pine trees with his gun drawn, and Jack followed, hugging what looked like a small pumpkin.

The old man turned and smiled a toothless wild gaping smile,"Ahhhhhhhh yis got it so ye has, brings it here…bring it to old Soony, chop chop!" he said holding out his grasping hands.

Roland saw it for what it was immediately and sprung to his feet eyes wide, "Drop it wordslinger, By all that is Gan, I order you to drop it. "tis nothing but a mischief ball, sent to destroy all that is good- drop it I say!" His words were strong, but Jack did not heed them. Instead he clutched the ball tight as it began to pulse against his chest, and he peered inside its wonder…

The orange "fancy ball" as the old hermit referred to it, was actually one of Maerlyns collection of glass rainbows, and it pulsed against Jack Mort's chest as he clung onto it with a vice like grasp. The ball tasted his bloodied palm,and relished the crimson claret for the first time. And as Jack fell inside the ball, his eyes lit up in a splendid fiery flash, mesmerized by the ball – it awoke properly for the first time in centuries, stretching out it fiery tendrils.

And jack Mort began to see.

He began to see his life, his achievements, his victims. He saw them all. His victims sprawled before him, his conquests altered paths, and the destruction he had done. The boy on the road, the girl by the high rise, the girls in the carparks,the woman on the tracks, all the victims, all the pain. Then the _mayhaps_ ball showed him more, and his eyes widened.

The mayhaps ball pulsed stronger as Jack gasped in wondrous awe, now transfixed to the ball, as if he had become one with the orb as it throbbed with vitality. And he watched as it showed. It showed him death, his death. The death that never was. He watched the image of the train as it passed and faded, then before he could take a breath another image began. It was a field, and a tower. The field blossomed crimson,like the hands he now saw . In the hands was a knife, and he saw it was his hands, striking the knife down into the Gunslingers back…

"Lift thy bones Dearborn, lift thy bones and thy stick, and be snappy say I. 'fore he goes tumblin' after the Taheen parasite so I tells ya!" Old Soony croaked as he tried to rise himself. Roland grabbed him around his bony arm and hoisted him alongside, as Dale stared into Jacks eyes."Look at his eyes Roland, they're glowing…I mean _really_ glowing!" he went to touch the ball before Old Soony barked, "Touch it not ye whipper snapper, for it will have thy'own eyes 'fore ye's can blink…stand back I say, scoot an' scaddadle!" he waved his hand in its hanging sleeve and stumbled forward, with the aid of Roland. "Gods, its like the grapefruit all over again….its the orange this time!" he marveled. "I indeed, the grapefruit t'was a wonder itself, but this…this be some't special Dearborn, this be the _mayhaps ball, _now stand yee's back and hand thee thy rod will ye not!" Old Soony snatched his walking stick from Roland who stood back awaiting the chants of the Manni. He watched Soony prepare himself and raise his hands, "Git a hold of him Gunslinger, and yer ka buddy..hold him tight, 'fore he falls" he cried out, and the two men each grabbed Jacks arm and tensed.

Old Soony raised his rod and swung it down hard, striking Jacks arm with an almighty crack. But it budged not an inch. Jack Morts bloody grip was tight, and he wasn't letting it go that easy. "HOLD HIM DEARBORN,WITH ALL THY MIGHT!" Soony cried out again, and raised the gnarly wooden rod higher this time, and struck down on Jacks head.

Jack watched as the roses beneath him stirred. The image of the Gunslinger as he began to fall, arms out as if he was plunging from a cliff. Jack watched him slowly tumble, the knife protruding from the Gunslingers back. He smiled as he watched The Gunslinger slowly tumble into the bed of roses as they separated and welcomed him into their arms.

Then the lights went out, and he went limp.

Roland watched Soonys Gnarly rod come cracking down on Jacks head, and felt the word slinger fall mahaps ball tumbled from Mort's bloody hand, and Roland gasped in horror. He dove forward, leaving Dale to gather the slumping Jack on his own, and reached out with his catchers mitt of a hand to the falling orange glimmer ball in an unfathomable attempt to prevent the ball from shattering on the ground. He knew not why he had to save it, the voices only told him he had to he did.

The fancy ball, or the _mayhaps ball_, fell into Roland's outstretched hand…and his eyes widened.

The image was brief, but what he saw made his heart sink to the lowest it had ever sank before….it was even more hypnotic than he remembered and the ball showed them all. All the death. All the death he had caused, and all the misery and grief laid out over a long and winding death bed. Cuthbert, Alain, Jamie, all his friends, all the gunslingers who battled in vain on the all lay there on the death bed. Then their was his enemies, far too many retched souls for Roland to count, as they stretched to the darkness of the horizon. he could see others, his mother lying on the bed gazing up at him with sorry eyes.

And their was him; The man in black- laughing as he lay on the stiff bed, propped up on one elbow patting the empty space next to him, "Come on Roland, son of Steven, lie with me, we are bed buddies after all, are we not" Roland silently screamed as he saw the man in black pat the bed, the bed made of nails, his bed of torment he had endured throughout his quest for the tower. But the one image that tore his heart out was still forming. The orange flames glowed…the orange glowed as it burned like fire,_no,_ like a bonfire, _no, no,no,no no, _then image of the girl in the window, only, _no, no ,no _this time it was the girl in the fire…the girl on the bonfire…

"No,no,no, " he repeated into the orange swirling mayhaps ball, "No, Susan,no,no,no…" He cried, as he watched the flames rise towards her upon the bonfire.

Then all that Roland saw- was white.


	33. 3: Old Soony of Mejis & the Mayhaps ball

"that's it young 'un… " it sounded like "young gun" to Dale,"… lie thee scrawny one next to Sai Dearborn will ee' be so kind,and watch yer don't trip on the mayhap ball,or ye end up blabbing and blubbering to it likes yer other ka buddies!" Soony said shaking his head and slumping down the wall to the ground, weakened by the events. Dales confusion of the situation prevented him arguing with the old smelly hermit, and he done as asked. Jack was dragged over to where Roland lay,and they were both rolled to their sides. Each had a knot on there heads beginning to swell the size of golf balls no 's swift intervention With his stick having sent Roland crashing to the floor

Dale checked that each of them was still breathing, then wandered over to the silent orange ball on the ground. "What the hell is this thing? what was it doing to them?"Dale asked. Soony smiled as he watched it with fascination. "kick it this way young 'un, kick the fancy ball o'er to me will ye' and i tells ya " he sighed as he tried to regain his strength."Kick it over and i'll show ye what it is, go on now!" he beckoned with his hands now winding them in a circular motion. Dale nestled it in the side step of his foot, and immediately wished he hadn't as he felt the static charge run up his leg. The image of an old beat up ford burned into his head. The girl driving inside the pick up,with the blonde hair, waved as she passed him by on the side off the road, her brake lights flickering, as he stood next to the sign post saying Chesters Mill 2 mile. He watched her slow, then wave, then speed off. But she had stopped-he thought,as she drove on. In the next image he saw the dome come down and fill with thick smoke. As it descended and filled the town of Chesters Mill, choking the life from all left behind, the dead lay where they fell, tearing at their throats Under the domed structure.

He flinched as the mayhaps ball sent out tendrils of electrical discharge that reached out for him, and he only just managed to flick the ball away, in fright. It rolled over to Soony and stopped. "What the fuck, that never happened…she stopped for me, she gave me a lift out of Chesters mill…" he stood confused.

"Good boy, now sits yer'self on yer hunkers and watch, t'is the mayhaps ball young un, it show yer the mayhaps in yer life so it does" Soony cackled, sliding his hands over the surface of the ball without actually touching small tendrils of electricity seemed to jump up from the ball is if fending off his hands, or mayhaps feeding of them, Dale was unsure. But as he watched the ball swirl content, it seemed to give up an image. It was the last image that Roland had seen…the orange inside the ball. "careful laddie, careful, 'tis a cunning beast the fancy ball- ne'er let thy guard down for a moment, or it'll eat yer up so it will!" Sonny glanced over to Dale, "Just look at yer ka buddy Dearborn over there, a soul filled wi' sorrow so it is, sorrow and guilt I warrant." Soony shook his head,"No matter, here to change that so we are,eh" Dale watched the hands circling and nodded, "Dearborn? you mean Roland right?" pointing to the gunslinger.

"Oh aye, the gunslinger aye, but thee knew him in the long ago when he was Dearborn. Now, quit the jawing for now and listen. what we have heries is the fancy ball belonging to Shardik the guardian. He is wan o' the last so he be, I only be knowing of three or four that now stand. The others have been plundered and looted as each o' the beams watchers fall, the Wolf an' the horse. the Bat an' the Hare. an' the snake. They've been an all gone the way of the bear…and with them the tethers o' the tower. Each o' the fancy balls have been torn from the guardians and used as totems an' trinkets for the kings that would rule the lands, kings like Farson the good man an' his grapefruit." Dale looked on confused, and Soony sighed.

"look, young un' its like this," he poked a finger into the earth and drew a circle. inside he drew a line end to end, then again and again, cutting the circle into 12 equal pieces,"see's like this, an' each o' these lines crosses in the middle tethering the tower of all 's curse't Dark Tower… ye gets me?" Dale nodded, "like a clock face?" "aye, like a clock face. only most of the points are dead now. After Shardik beams go, an' it will now- mark me for it… first him, then the turtle," he pointed to the top, where 11 of the clock would have been, and then the bottom of the circle,nearest fife of the clock,"when wan goes, the other is sure to follow. and that leaves only three after that." Dales eyes widened,"three beams left?" Soony nooded slowly,"aye, mayhaps the Rat, and its partner the Fish, an' one of the others" he dug his finger in at 1 oclock then over to its partner at 7 oclock,"…the eagle mayhaps or the elephant" he continued and jabbed the point at 3 oclock." Whatever's left, they're weakening by the day so they are, now watch an' learn boy. watch an learn!"Soony closed his eyes and began to chant, his hands wavering above the ball as his long finger nails twitched.

Dale was still trying to fathom the points of the beam when the swirling fog inside the ball began to gather momentum as Soony's eyes twitched and blinked erratically. Then the picture began to form, the girl with the blonde hair, his hitch hiking buddy from Chesters hill, but no not really, she was different somehow, and standing aloft the pile of firewood,"Now…can ye see her? Can ye see Rolands gilly gir…his lovergirl hmmmm young un, can ye see her face?" Dale watched as the spiraling fog cleared and the girl emerged, her beautiful bloodied face staring out of the ball calling for her savior. Calling for her beloved Roland, as she scoured the horizon for her knight in shining it was also the same girl who had picked him up and driven him away from Chesters mill the day the plane had crashed.

"yes, I mean aye…I see a girl, and a fire…what is this..is it Roland's memories is she dead?" Dale asked. Soony rolled his head back and began mumbling and chanting, "aye…his memories, his nightfrights, call 'em what ye will- they are his burdens mayhaps…now watch!"

Soony's fingers tensed and separated wide, as the old Manni began to spasm arching his back. Dale watched on in horror as flames shot from the Orange ball and engulfed the old mans hand. Dale reached out to douse the flames, but before he could the old man cried out,"NO, No young un, see me well, the gilly girl is touched now, and her soul is connected with the mayhaps now…," he chuckled," as we believed…it can be done so it can!" Soony fell forward exhausted, clutching his palm, watching the flame dancing between his fingers fade,then turned to Dale and grinned, "I forsee this day every turning of the damn demon moon so i do. long 'fore Dearborn and his Tet set foot in Mejis. Its why I wandered from my hut in't the bad grass to go seek oot the Manni folk to tells them my visions. Its for the why that I returned an' hid in eyebolt canyin', waiting for Dearborn and his gunslinging Ka tet to show up. T'is why I watched from a ways away as they burned the poor lassie at the stake…" He smiled, exhausted and elated at his premonition finally coming to light. he looked over and saw the gunslinger stir, lifting his weary head from the old coat folded under it.

"T'is why I hide and waited here… I reckons the times circled around for Ka to free both lovers from their tortured bed of nails… if thee gods will it, so I do!"

"Now then young'un, bring yer manni bag o' trixies o'er here and lets see what yer brought with ye'- we got work ti do so we have! "


	34. 3: Bird & Bear & Hare & Fish

Roland stood unsteadily for a moment,then wandered over to Dale and Soony rubbing his head. The mayhaps ball was covered by an old piece of cloth Soony had produced, soothing the flames from his fire. He walked over to the rear of the cave to where Pennywise had tumbled through,peering over the ridge behind them into the thick darkness, but heard little of the voices that had been mocking him earlier. Roland turned to the two men as they watched him. "Dearborn, how be the napper? Does it still rattle in there? Gave it quite a clout, so I did…cry pardon!" Soony smiled a toothless grin as Dale nodded awkwardly. "No need for pardons Manni, tell me-Is the rainbow ball safe now?" Roland asked as he looked down on the covered sphere And rubbed his throbbing head. "Aye t'is sleeping for now,mind not for long, now Dearborn tell Old Soony...Dearborn tell thee…what did thou see thro' the peeking glass?"

Roland looked at Soony with a frown as he patted Dale on the shoulder, "Now't but Sorrow and pain . Now tell me Manni, for I swear by the line of Eld, that our paths have not crossed- and yet you speak to me as if kin, from a place I recollect only in memories " He said concerned. "Aye bad memories at that too Dearborn eh. No, we walk different paths Ya ken it, thy ways and by ways ne'er mingling' only I see y'er travels in my head so I do, have done fer too long now. I've just been jawin' to the young un' here the whats and wants of my journey – if it does ye 'i'll rekindle them for yer' Come hunker down Gunslinger"

Roland looked over and saw Jack Mort still out cold, then turned back to Soony, who was tying string around objects pulled from Speedy Parker's bag. Dale looked up to him, "I saw her Roland, the girl in the ball…your girl. she was calling out and he touched her. I saw it…I heard her!"

Roland stood for a moment then bowed his head,"Bird and Bear and Hare and Fish…yes, I heard it too,"he turned to old Soony,"You entered the rainbow? You found her?"

Soony beamed,"Aye so I did Dearborn… felt the pain too, awful tragedy for one so young and pertty. Tell me this Dearborn,"His manor changed to that of a teacher scalding his pupil," you chose your Damn tower last time over Susan Delgado, left her to the reaping mob ye did, if I tell it true?" Roland said nothing. "Now I ain't here to scald yer' Gunslinger- no Sai. The rainbows is trixie, and played thee for the watch me fool while yer head was elsewhere,aye like so many other young'uns . But whit would your black heart chose this time if offered the same choice hmmm?" Roland felt his heart sink once more,and lowered his saddened face."Susan Delgado…with all my heart!"

"Good,"Soony said clapping his hands," then what are we jawing for, here grab me up – lets wake up the Mayhaps ball and go put to rest her wanderin' soul. Young un' here,take these and be watchin will ye!" Soony handed Dale the plumb line with the tied magnets as he himself was hauled to his feet by Roland. Dale lifted the rainbow glass from the ground, making sure the cloth still covered the ball. It hummed underneath, waiting to pounce, and he was happy to be rid of it when Soony grabbed it from him. "Now takes the bobbins and hang em over the candles young un' then go take a wander in the rain, this is not fer your eyes…go on… away with yer" Dale scowled and began to object but saw the look in Roland's bombardier eyes and nodded. He tied the plumb lines and lit the candles, then walked from the cave, noticing Jack was stirring. He lit a cigarette from the packet he found in Speedy's bag,and wandered to the cave mouth, watching the rain as it cascaded over the entrance.

"Okay Dearborn, do yer put yer trust in the magic of Prim and all that serves the White…tell it straight if it does ye!" Roland nodded," I Manni, anything to rest Susan Delgado's soul. But can we trust the rainbow after all it shows?" Soony laughed,"well lets find out shall we. Do as my palaverins command Dearborn, and trust the White."

They nodded together and then turned to the fire that burned quietly. Soony uncovered the Orange rainbow and held it aloft the flames, "Bird and bear and hare and fish- give my love her fondest wish!' he chanted, and Roland joined.

The flames licked higher, as the foggy flames within the ball swirled,"Bird and bear and hare and fish- give my love her fondest wish!" The tendrils awoke again and wrapped around Old Soonys wrist, snaking up his arm and setting alight his blue robe. "Bird and bear and hare and fish…" Susans ghostly face appeared in the ball, and Roland saw the flames around her as her own prayers wafted out from the fireball."Bird and bear and hare and fish give my love his fondest wish…" The flames woke now and began rising to greet them both, the heat searing his face and burning the hair on his arms, "Bird and bear and hare and fish" they both chanted, over and over,and over again. Sonny with the orange ball in the air, Roland staring into it. "Follow me Dearborn, as I do- for Susans sake!" Soony spoke slowly and pushed his arms into the fire, the flames engulfing the ball. The bobbins tied around the cave began to spin, each of the magnets twisting on their axles as the orange mayhaps ball was eaten by the hungry flames. The flames tugged at the robes of Old Soony's sleeve eagerly, but he continued to chant as he hurled the glass rainbow into the fire. Roland followed without hesitation and stuck both his hands into the flames as they too were both engulfed in the orange fireball that followed.

Dale stood in shock at the entrance watching the two men as they walked into the fire "ROLAND!" he shouted, and Jack turned his face to the flames and joined Dales yelling.

"Roland the verse, recite the verse…" Soony ordered, as they became one with the fire, Susan's screams could be heard as the flames from her bonfire pulled at her hair."BIRD AND BEAR AND HARE AND FISH- GIVE MY LOVE HIS FONDEST WISH!" she wept. Roland heard her cries of pain and fought back his tears. he had been such a young fool, "The words Roland say the words"

"Rat and bat and turtle and lion- be safe my love and stop thy cryin'

"AGAIN,SAY THEM AGAIN ROLAND-SON OF STEVEN!" Soony shouted over the roar, and Roland closed his eyes,

"RAT AND BAT AND TURTLE AND LION…BE SAFE MY LOVE AND STOP THY CRYIN'!"

The Manni chanted his incantations with Roland as the flames rose high inside the roaring fire seemed to ignore both of the intruders, but Dale had to back off from the heat as its furnace blast burnt him. The bobbins he had hung inside were now alight and swinging wildly as he heard the chants from within. Jack lifted his arm to protect his face from the flames, shouting in panic.

Dale ducked back inside the inferno and grabbed Rolands gunna sack and slung it over with his own, then grabbed onto Jack by his collar as he struggled upright having also just watched Roland walk into the fire. Dale dragged Jacks singed body outside to the safety of the cave mouth and cursed at the Hermit and his flames,"Why the hell did he do that Dale?" Jack mumbled confused,"…Fella I once knew in El Paso,"Dale grunted," one day he took all his clothes off and jumped in a mess of cactus. I asked him the same question, why?" Dale dragged jack a little further away from the flames," …He said it seemed to be a good idea at the time!" he puffed with exertion as he recited a line from the magnificent seven propping the mumbling Jack against the cave wall. He peered back inside the cave cursing Roland for accepting the hermit wizards challenge, and roasting himself alive- leaving him in the middle of nowhere with his hypnotized side kick.

Inside the cave, the orange ball burned black on the glowing embers as the two men searched the Todash inferno for Susan Delgado, then, in a shattering explosion of fire, Maerlyns orange rainbow glass, cracked open.

The whispers lifted from the shattered ball, wafting through the flames and the smoke into the freedom of the cave...

..._Roland?_ they called.


	35. 3: Into The Fire

They waited by the entrance for the bonfire inside the cave to burn out, as the rainfall fell from the overhanging rock above. Dale stood at the mouth of the cave as the shadows of the fire danced on the blackened charred walls inside, listening to the occasional crackling as another log popped. He refused to go back inside, afraid of the charred bodies that would be dragging themselves from the ember, the stench that would linger in his nostrils for weeks. He had seen it all before in '91- the Iraqi soldiers in the tanks trying to escape the infernos inside. His superior officers giving him and his men the orders for the Abrams battle tanks of the 1st Armored Division to advance. The battle of Easting 73 commenced and eighty Iraqi mark 69 tanks were blown apart. It was a complete success. Over six hundred enemy killed, and more injured. Dale and his Troop had watched as young men were sent to their deaths and burned alive in their tanks. He never fully recovered From seeing such destruction.

Now here he was again, more fire, more death- and more friends lost. Dale squatted down and rubbed his face slowly. Jack was checking himself over when he realised what had happened,"do you need some time…on your own… i mean?" He asked, getting to his feet and brushing his trousers down.

Dale turned with a hollow smile on his soot covered face and ran his hand back through his sweaty brow, and looked out over the rain drenched valley,"Everybody needs some time…on their own Jack!" he liked that, and started nodding, biting down on his bottom lip.

Jack looked on, the remark going straight over his head. "not a fan eh? Not to worry. So what now?" Dale said reaching for his gun, and checking it still sat inside his holster. Jack was now dusting the rest of his suit down and turning to go back into the cave. "Did you check…I mean, are you sure that they are…dead?" Dale sighed, and turned. The cave was silent now, only the sound of the rain gurgling down the walls into the small meandering brooks could be heard,"gimme five minutes,okay. Let me have another cigarette, then we will go in..okay?" Jack nodded and walked over to the pool of water collecting and squatted down to wash and cool his burnt face.

Roland felt himself inside the flames, but did as Soony commanded. He waited, reciting the verse over again and again. It seemed to take him to a higher conscious state similar to that of the fire walkers he had seen many years ago in Gilead . Similar to when they walked the coals on commalla day or years end celebrations. The flames seemed to snap and strike out at him as he stood there, but none bit. In fact, being inside the flames was quite calming to him.

_Roland, can thee hear me…Roland?_ He heard her, and his concentration skipped. The fire sensed this and struck out at his face, searing his temple. "SUSAN!" he cried out, as the pain bit into him. "The verse Dearborn, say the verse…" Soony said, his voice distant.

"Bird and bear and hare and…" the voice shrieked cutting him off,"Oh Roland…I knew thee would come my love save me…I beg save me!" Susan cried out.

Roland moved forward and grabbed at the flames, "Susan where are you? call to me!" he shouted, as the flames circled him like hungry vultures waiting for their prey to fall. "Save her Dearborn,Save her now…say the verse and rest her soul"Soony cried, as he too now felt the flesh begin to burn," I can hold on little longer Gunslinger!" he demanded.

Roland spun around blinded with the heat now, clawing at the air,"SUSAN,HEAR ME WELL…COME TO ME…BIRD AND BARE AND HARE AND FISH…" he pleaded. "ROOOOOLLLLAAANNNNDDDDDD NOWWWW!" Soony shuddered as the flames unhinged their jaws and opened wide like a winding python, entwining itself around Soonys legs and rising up to his torso, "NOWWWWW DEARBORN FREE HER SOUL..FOR GILEAD!"

Roland panicked, as another fanged serpent within the fire struck out ,this time on his arm, he waited for the pain- then realised it was an arm that had brushed past his own, and quickly he snatched at the groping fingers and pulled them in close, as the screams of the Manni filled the cave. Susan screamed out Rolands name as the flames erupted around the old Manni, and shards of the mayhaps ball glowed like the embers around him.

"NOW GUNSLINGER!"

Two bodies emerged from the raging fire and fell out from the flames, smoldering as they fell to the ground together. Roland rolled and staggered to his feet, and saw the other figure glowing on the cave floor.

"Soony?"

Roland called, wiping the sweat from his brow and stared at the smouldering figure on the floor. Laying at the gunslingers feet was Susan Delgado, his lovely Susan, gazing back up at him.


	36. 3:Out of the Fire

Susan Delgado lay on the ground cradled in Roland's arms, his hand running through what was left of her long golden hair. The bonfire had taken all but the roots on one side, and on the other side, everything to her neck line . He strangled the embers smoldering along her fringe and slowly caressed her jaw line, the crusted blood from her broken nose had blackened.

Slowly, he lifted her chin up, wiping the tears that ran down her cheeks with his weathered hand and smiled at her, "Susan,I cry your pardon,I never…" his bombardier blue eyes were filled with tears as his gaze slowly met hers- and his heart ached as he suddenly realised that she was staring back at a stranger. "Cry Pardon Susan, for my heart aches…"

Susan heard his voice as she felt Roland hold her tight, and as she lowered her cheek to his bandaged palm she turned to face her rescuer. Her gaze froze as she stared into her lovers eyes, the same beautiful blue eyes she had lost herself in on the meadows and the plains of Mejis. But they were so…old. They were so tired and sad. The sparkle had gone, the fight drained…and his face…oh how his face had aged. Oh what has happened to thee Roland? What has happened to thee eyes, thee beautiful blue eyes…and no….yee face…is it yee….is it really yee Roland?

"My love?" she spoke softly, taking his bandaged hand and caressing the leathery worn knuckles, realising that the roughness didn't hide the fact that his hands were more like her fathers than that of Will Dearborn had been. she felt the nubs of his missing fingers and they both winced "Roland?" she said looking up at the tears falling from his face now. "Oh Roland what has happened to thee?" her heart ached even more than it had on the bonfire.

"Susan, I left because the ball said you were safe. The damn ball showed me you were safe, and I went. The damn ball took you from me Susan…" he groaned, anger now taking over."I would never have left you had I known" he continued. Susan looked pitifully at the man who had pulled her from the fire with sorrow and kindness,"My love, thy was tricked as well, and now it's yee that has been taken from me, my poor, poor man…what has it done to yee?" she kissed his hand and rubbed it against her face.

Roland closed his eyes, full of confusion. She was safe, but he realised they would never be as they once were. And as he held her, he wept quietly. They had saved her, and that was all that he had ever wanted to do since he gazed into the grapefruit and saw her burn.

Soony he thought and spun around "SOONY!" he shouted as he gazed into the fire, Susan backed away. "SOONY!" he cried again as the fire began to die down.

The blackened hand emerged from the fire and Roland snatched it without thought. He pulled the old Manni from the flames and dragged him from the embers, the old man clutching the cracked Orange glass ball To his chest "Ahhhhh Ya bugger…ya got her aye," the old man sighed,"…Good fer you Roland Good fer you!" his smoking clothes were stuck to his burnt flesh, red blotches peeled from the exposed parts of his face and arms. His hair was gone, as was most of his scalp, and his ears had been bitten off by the serpent in the fire. :aye…she's a bonnie one so she is Dearborn…a fine lass so she is" he said gazing over to Susan who shuffled his way hiding her horror with a smile. Thank yee sai, for saving me" she said softly. He smiled and reached for her hand, then turned back to Roland,

"my GodBook, Roland, wid ye get it for thee, and read a passage f'er it…'fore I go to ti path at t' clearing!" he croaked, pointing over to the smoldering stack of items by the fire. Roland nodded as the barks from outside echoed in the cave.

Dale was just taking his last couple of drags from one of Speedy Parker's cigarettes he had found inside his bag, before readying himself for the cave, when Cujo bounded up the hill with another catch of the day. It was the sixth bumbler he had caught, and was now getting quite a taste for the squeaky fur balls. Even Zoltan was buzzing the dog in anticipation of the golden eyes he was now becoming quite fond off. They crashed through the undergrowth and quarreled by Jack, who was on his knees and had his head stuck under the rain water. "what the hell!" he cried as the dog knocked him over and began shaking the rain off his coat vigorously. "shit dog can't you take your business elsewhere?" Jack said, lacking humor as the dog panted and barked out at him. Dale smiled and pulled him away from the… what had Roland called him…word slinger? "What did you see in there Jack?" he asked rubbing Cujo's belly. Zoltan was pecking furiously at the eyes while the dog was preoccupied. "what shit did you see in there, because i saw some pretty freaky stuff man!" Dale said squinting his eyes from the smoke as the last of the tobacco gave up its nicotine.

Jack looked at Dale, with calculating eyes then smiled," Oh nothing much, good shit , bad shit- stuff I don't remember…what did you see?" he said waiting for Dale to put his hand on the table.

"I'm not sure, It was quick…but I did see his girl, and a fucked up dream about dead folks in a dome…lots of dead folks!" he said flicking the butt into the rain. Cujo, satisfied with the belly rub began wandering to the bumbler carcass. Jack seemed concerned, "dead folk? …anyone we know?" he asked buttoning up his shirt and tucking it into his pants. Dale stood up and listened to his knees creak and crack, "I'm not sure, I think I saw you…and Roland, but I definitely saw the girl…" He was interrupted by Cujo as he began to bark at the darkness inside the cave.

Dale stopped, as did Jack,and they both turned to see Cujo bound inside the cave- and then they ran after him.

Roland was reaching for the Mannis Godbook when Cujo bounded over Susan and the dying Manni on the scorched ground, and flew at the gunslinger With his teeth wide open. Cujo grabbed at the gunslingers outstretched arm and they both tumbled away from the edge of the fire just as the serpent from the flame rose out and struck the air where Roland had just been. The flame danced high over Roland's head as Cujo rolled into the wall under the burning bobbins hanging from the roof, and skidded with a yelp.

Roland turned away from the flame as it tried one last attempt for his life, and got to his feet, turning quickly as Dale and Jack ran into the room.

"ROLAND!" Dale cried out in surprise, staring at the new yet familiar face that had joined the group, and then he smiled broadly As he skidded to a halt.

Susan looked up and smiled the familiar smile back at Dale. Roland saw this and frowned.


	37. 3: Cold November Rain

"Cuthbert… Alain?" Susan Delgado said softly, as she turned to Roland for conformation of the two men running inside the cave. Roland dusted himself down and turned to face Susan, then back to Dale and jack.

"No, Sai this is my friend Dale of Chester's mill- the other i am unfamiliar with, but he saved our lives out on the track" Jack looked uncomfortable, but managed a smile as he flattened his fringe to his forehead, "pleasure to meet you ma'am. allow me to introduce myself" he said as Dale walked over to the manni by her knees."my name is Jack Mort from New York- and you are?" Susan nodded and smiled, "forgive thy rudeness, I….I am not sure what has just happened, its all so confusing" she started raising her hand up to her singed hairline and wincing. Roland slowly reached for her hand again and lifted her from the ground, "It is okay Susan, you are safe now. I will not lose site of you again. He passed Dale old Soonys Godbook and began to walk Susan from the darkness , "Forgive us peacekeeper, pleasantries can wait for now" he said escorting Susan to the light and the rain. "Sure don't mind me," Dale said bemused and turned to see Susan give an awkward sad smile as she was comforted by Roland.

Old Soony reached up and tugged at Dales arm, "young 'un…the passage if it pleases ye- I don't have all day ya kennit!" he choked,dropping his hand upon the shattered orange ball on his chest. Dale snapped out of his stare and looked up at Jack who was loitering by the side of him. Cujo whined, and when they looked over they saw he was licking its paw, and seemed to be whining at the pain of the burn it had received knocking Roland from the flames. "Here, I got something in the bag for that Jack, go see to him and wrap his leg will you" he said removing the bag from around his neck and passing it over. Jack nodded, "was that her? was that the girl from the ball?" he said wide eyed. Dale looked at the old man, but all he could do was wave a hand and mumble some unintelligible words. "jack go see to Cujo, will you- leave the old guy be" Dale said uncorking the water skin and pouring it over Soonys cracked and bubbled lips. "Its okay old man, I'll read your passage" Soony smacked his lips as the cool water flowed into his burnt mouth and smiled as Jack walked over to the corner to where Cujo lay and knelt by the dog,"whose a good boy then" jack said and ruffled his coat,"who saved the tall and ugly man from the burning fire!" Cujo seemed to raise its paw to him as it fell backward, high fiving the word slinger, with a lazy pant.

Dale looked at the charred cover of the book and wiped the soot away from the title, and read it

THE BOOK OF LUKE

Dale opened the book and it fell open at a well fingered page, now slightly singed. Old soony lifted a hooked finger and pulled the book towards his face and tapped the passage, "thats it young un' thats the one a wanna hear if it does ye…go on, no skipping now!" he said, sounding far from entering the clearing if truth be told. Dale looked at the chapter and the verse and cleared his throat, shuffling on his knees leaning over the old manni. "Go on now, chapter 1 verse 73 , away with it sonny!" Soony croaked impatiently.

_" Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,_

_.. And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;_

_As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:_

_That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;_

_To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;_

_73 The oath which he sware to our father Abr'am "_

Dale stopped, and watched Old Soony smile up at the ceiling of the cave "Aye its a good un'… so it is- I just hope it serves the beam this time, Abr'am…" he coughed and closed his eyes.

"is he ….." Jack said looking up. "Dale put his hand over Soonys mouth and felt the shallow breathing,"not yet, But he hasn't got long" "I better go get Roland" jack said getting to his feet.

Dale held out a hand and pondered for a moment,"Jack, give them a minute outside okay, they have ghosts to free I think" Jack frowned and then sat back down.

Outside, Roland lead Susan to the rocks by the pooling water. The rain had began again was now just a fine spay passing over the trees below. She smiled at his kindness, but he could see the sadness and the pity on her bloodied face and frowned uncomfortably, but said nothing. He was an old man now, and she no older than when they first met. "what ails ye Sai?" she said still holding his bandaged hand. He smiled back at her beauty, and then down at his feet.

"Susan, I have walked so many wheels since I saw you in …" he searched for the words," So many lost friends since rheas glimmer ball deceived me." she sat and looked up at him, and listened. "I lost them all,after I lost you. and my heart was broken, torn from my chest and taken by the demons in the ball.I was lost in the fire too.I had lost my true love. And yet here you are, and my heart should be soaring again, but it aches still. For I have become the old man you see before you, ravaged by guilt and vows of vengeance…and the damn tower." he said the last through gritted teeth."she sighed,"Oh Roland thy poor sweet man,thy is here now, plucked from the fires that would take me to thy path. Ye know how much I love thee, and that will never change, t'was a fright s'all. I never expected to see thee again, and when i did, I thought t'was the witch playing again, torturing me as i was torched with the stuffy guys." She smiled and squeezed his hand," I love thee Roland, no ageing wrinkles are going to stop that." she reached up to the grey hair at the side of his cheek, and ran her hand along the stubbled jaw line that she had once fondly caressed a smoother long ago. "besides, It makes you look wise thy reckons!" He smiled and lent over to kiss her softly. "if only it were true" he replied, then sighed, taking her hand from his face and kissing it softly. With sadness.

They watched the rain for a while clutching each other tightly, before Susan broke the embrace and stared into His twinkling blue eyes,"where are they Roland? Where are Cuthbert and Alain? Are they in Gilead? Can we still go there?" she said eagerly. But the look on Roland's face told her their was no Gilead. "Oh no, he came didn't he. Farson came?" Roland said nothing As he sat next to her, merely loweted his head in sorrow. "Oh say it ain't so Roland…Not Cuthbert…Oh and Alain…no…they can't be!" she gasped as the color drained from his face.

"They are all gone Susan, all my friends, all my family, all of Gilead…Gone!"

She lowered her hand to his, but he turned before she could grasp it.

Roland stood up and made to walk away from Susan, but she grabbed him and embraced him again, knowing they could never be as they were before, and wept. " I cry your Pardon, Susan Delgado"

_" When I look into your eyes I can see a love restrained__But darlin' when I hold you, don't you know I feel the same? yeah__Nothin' lasts forever and we both know hearts can change__And it's hard to hold a candle in the cold November rain"__We've been through this such a long long time_  
_Just tryin' to kill the pain, ooh yeah_  
_But lovers always come and lovers always go_  
_An' no one's really sure who's lettin' go today, walking away_  
_Axle Rose 1991._


	38. 3: Killin' Yer Darlins

3: 14 Killin' yer Darlin's

Jack tugged at his shot up ear lobe in a trance like state, watching Dale as he tended to Soony. The old man lay clinging to the shattered remnants of the orange glass ball on his chest as his gaze shifted between the flames and Jack. After several uncomfortable silent minutes, Dale turned and twitched his head, nodding to the entrance of the cave, the signal that the Manni was fading from this world, and the time was near to let Roland know. Jack nodded back, wiping the blood on his fingers from his mutilated ear, onto his trousers and began to walk away with Cujo limping slightly, behind him. "aye fella,(cough) go get yer ka daddi, best do it now 'fore I start on my path(cough)" Soony waved a limp wristed wave, but his squinting eyes never wavered from Jack.

Dale watched as Jack disappeared around the corner, and felt the bony grasp on his wrist, "Young 'un, listen well (cough) ye need te hear me well, I think he's gonna kill again so i do!" Soony wheezed. Dale looked down surprised,"who is?" Soony coughed and patted the shattered mayhaps ball, "I saw it, in the fire ball, he's gonna kill again,so he is.. fer sure…but not me (cough) i ain't one of his darlin's so It doesn't bother me!" he turned away and coughed up a mouthful of ash,"just don't let death kill anymore ya here me…he stalks ye all now(cough) yer all his Darlins now..ya hear me young 'un?" Dale stared confused, and grasped the old mans hand, "sure thing Soony, I'll watch out…for them all" He draped sonny's arm over the ball, hiding it from his view, it unnerved him, even in the broken state it was now in. Soony tensed up, lifting his head from the ground with great effort,"Not a word ya hear me young 'un…(cough)not a word to yer' Gunslinger, he needs ye all so he does…even him!" he said, pointing to the cave entrance where Jack had just left, before sighing and dropping back down.

Roland and Susan were still in a clinch outside, when Jack made his presence known with a polite cough and a shuffle of his feet. He straightened his tie and ruffled the coat on Cujos back, waiting for the couple to finish their embrace. "Your presence is requested Roland, Dale is asking for you, he reckons Soony doesn't have long before he shuffles of the mortal coil" Roland nodded, and turned back to Susan, "Will you be alright? I need to pay respects to the Manni and thank him…would you like to come too?" he asked taking her hand. Susan turned to the cave and frowned sadly,"it scares me Roland, the fire I mean. What if it takes thee again can ye give the man thy blessing,and tell him thy fears." she smiled. Roland nodded and turned back to Jack. " Will you stand vigil, word slinger?" he asked. Jack didn't understand the question at first, but then realised he meant take care of Susan. "I will watch over her Roland aye, you have the word of a word slinger!" he mused, bowing down and clutching his arm over his chest.

Roland grunted at this and walked back inside the cave mouth. Jack smiled at Susan and walked over, "Susan is it?" he smiled and held out his hand. Susan smiled and swept her remaining hair to one side," aye it is, Susan…Susan Delgado. and ye are… forgive thee, its been quite a morning." Jack smiled as they shook hands, and watched as Cujo nuzzled her leg." It is an honor Susan Delgado, my name is Jack, Jack Mort. and this grumpy fella is…you know, i am not quite sure who he is, none the less- he is a charming fellow, who enjoys nothing more than a good rub of the belly" he proceeded to rub Cujo as Susan laughed, forgetting herself for a moment.

Roland entered the cave and knelt by the side of Dale slapping his shoulder, "how is he peacekeeper?" Dale turned, "not good- he wants to speak to you alone" The Manni slapped at Dales knees and coughed more ash up,"Go on young 'un,leav us to chin jaw in peace and mind my tellin's now" Dale took the old mans charred hand and clasped it in both of his, then nodded to Roland, leaving the two men to palaver in confidence. "i'll be outside if you need me" he said, and then stood up, and left.

"You saw it all in your dreams?" Roland asked, after Dale had left, "aye,all of it!" Soony replied. "But no more Dearborn, I saw no more than this" he lied. He knew all too well what was about to follow, but it held no fear for him anymore. He had served the White and brought the Ka Tet together, and his reward was everlasting. He beckoned Roland closer with a crooked hand, and stared down at his revolvers with a smile, for he knew they would be drawn by the Gunslinger soon,"tell me Dearborn,(cough) tell me what you saw when you gazed into the ball in Mejis?" Roland grasped the dying mans hand tightly, struggling with his memories. "I saw Susan on the bonfire…I saw Cuthberth and alain," he paused stiffling the maddening thought,"….I saw myself cut Susans charred body from the cross as I wept. Then the tentacles from the ball…and him…the crimson king…" he covered his face with his hand. "...and the tower Roland, what of yer Tower? did ye see it" Soony asked coughing up yet more ash. Roland lowered his hand and soony saw the gunslingers eyes darkle. "yes, the Tower…I saw it …and the roses…I saw the roses sway apart" Soony nodded,"good, now remember that as ye travel with your Ka tet…remember that (cough) and remember why they parted gunslinger"Roland nodded as soony squeezed his hand, " and what of your visions manni, tell me what evils you see when you look into the cursed thing?" Soony laughed, and stared into Rolands eyes," I see what I have always seen Roland..the barrel of your fathers gun, and my salvation!"

Soony turned from Roland as the fire leapt up beside him, and began to convulse " he's here…he's come for his fancy ball so he has…stand back Roland" The fire once more roared next to them as the ball flickered to life again, and began to piece itself together- much to the amazement of Roland.

Soony grabbed at the broken pieces of the glass ball and stared into the rising flame, waiting for his fate, as Roland watched on bemused. "who comes Manni?" He asked drawing his revolver. "The crimson King?" he growled aiming his pistols into the flames. Soony closed his eyes, "No…not the king Roland..his jester.." he began to chant as Roland stood and readied himself. Soony prepared himself for the death he had seen over and over in his nightfrights, and began to chant as the balls crunched together tearing through his bloody grasp, ripping through the old mans flesh

The burning hands that sprang up through the flames were just too fast for Roland, and in the blink of his bombardiers blue eyes, Pennywise had grabbed at the charred Manni's feet and dragged him inside the flames, pulling him down into Todash- along with the orange Mayhaps fancy ball clasped against Soony's chest. Soony made no attempt to struggle as he watched Roland take aim Through the flames, instead he nodded and closed his eyes.

Roland fired off two shots from his fathers sandalwood revolvers. The first, killing Old Soony dead, just as the Old Manni had foreseen the Gunslinger do every night since the dreams began way back in his Hobo hut in Mejis. The other shot shattering the orange ball inside the flame- sending it back to the crimson King in a million useless shards.

Pennywise screamed as he faded from the inferno back into Todash "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO….GUNSLINGER!"


	39. 3: Ka buddies

He watched her bend down and stroke the dog, her blonde hair hanging down the one side over her bruised face. Susans' beauty could still arouse any man, and her face, bloodied as it was, still captivated any onlooker. Jack stared as she stood at the edge of the cave, only steps away from the edge- and a tumble to the rocks below. He watched her with fascination, _how easy it would be to walk over and push _he thought as he followed the curves of her body up to her neck. _How easy it would be to simply nudge and watch_. "Jack!" Susan repeated, and he blinked,"sorry, I was miles away. what did you say?" he wandered over and clapped cujo. "I was asking thee where we are- it looks so beautiful,and…" she breathed in the pine fresh air,"and the smell, its wonderful don't ye agree?" she said, running both hands over her partially singed hair. He watched her stretch, admiring the curves of her breasts as they stretched the fabric of her charred tunic,but turned away when she turned to him, "Roland said ye have not been with him long, are ye travelling?" she queried, but turned as Dale wandered from the cave shielding his eyes from the sun.

"They wanted to palaver alone" he pointed back inside the cave. She smiled and held out her hand,"Forgive thee, my name is…" he interrupted her,"Susan, yeh I got that, i'm Dale how are you feeling? The big guy sure likes to do things on a grand scale, doesn't he!" Dale smiled, shaking her outstretched hand lightly. she smiled back as Jack looked on, slightly pissed at Dale for interrupting his thoughts. Dale saw her blazing eyes, and for a moment he was almost positive she was the same girl who had offered him his ride from Chesters Mill the day the Dome descended. The same day he had escaped in her pick up -and definitely not as the orange mayhaps fancy ball had fore told, showing all that death.

Dale stood for a moment, staring into those glowing eyes, unsure of how to carry on the conversation then he remembered the food in his bag,"are you hungry Susan, I have food and water in my bag" he turned and grabbed his bag from the floor, and produced the dry meat from the bumbler they had skinned the day earlier. She accepted, as did Jack as he inspected the bump on his head the Manni had given him, and they each perched on a rock overlooking the valley.

Three lost souls, in a world moving on, waiting for instruction. The Peacekeeper, The Word Slinger, and the Sweetheart

When the gunshots rang inside the cave, they all turned to each other, Dale stood up slapping at his holster, grabbing Susan as she made for the cave, "Susan wait, Roland knows what he is doing. We would only be interfering in their madness." Cujo only looked up, sensing no further danger, then rested his head back down on his paws. She looked on concerned as Jack only stared at his shuffling feet, wiping the dust from off his toecap with his fingers.

Dale stood by Susan and watched Roland emerge from the dusty cave looking menacing as ever, his smoking revolver still in his right hand and the Manni's Godbook in his mutilated left. Zoltan swooped down and perched on the gunslingers shoulder as he returned his gun to its holster,"we need to leave this place!" he said, handing the book over to Dale, "he wanted you to have this"

Dale took the book from Roland and thumbed the pages, as Jack lifted the Gunslingers gunna sack and smiled. Susan walked to Roland's side and took hold of his hand and squeezed it, she stared up at his blue eyes and he stared down into her flaming orange eyes.

"Where are we going Roland?"

Roland turned to Susan,staring into the fire in her eyes, then to Dale and Jack in turn and then down to Cujo who had circled his legs and was now sat by his feet,

"The Tower!"


	40. 4: The Wetlands

31/12/13

_At this junction of the path I just want to say a big thanks to the 1 person from USA who is taking time out each morning to join me in the journey. You are the first person to read my ramblings ...EVER So i thank you, and hope you will stick with The rest of DT reboot. The next chapters to follow are the latest Part in the journey- The Wetlands, so sit back and follow Gloria and Henry.(Plenty to go) Then, when you are done -if you fancy a chat id really like to know what your thoughts are. if you aren't up for chat, a simple thumbs down or up Will do. Thanks again whoever you are. :)_

PART 4 The Wetlands.

"Somethings wrong!" Gloria said as she looked across the open land to where she had left Speedy Parker. She turned to Henry, both of them still crouching against the wall, and gave him a worried look,"when I came through here this morning it was just empty wastelands, nothing but bike tracks- now look at it!" Henry nodded and shrugged his shoulders, "looks the same to me, car wrecks, wetlands and a stinking rubbish tip, this is Throgs graveyard sis, what where you expecting…fuckin' Disneyland?"

Gloria punched his leg, , "okay smart ass," she said, frowning, " its just not what i was expecting to see is all. Can we still get through to the bridge?" she added. Henry screwed his face up, checking the road both ways, " look, Its not as easy as getting through. This place is full of smack heads, junkies and dead beats, all looking for an easy fuckin' pay day. If we're not careful we will be the the next meal ticket for these bozos. What we really want to do is circle around and get over to the embankment way over there" he said pointing to the bridge in the distance. Gloria looked over and gasped,"but that will take us at least another couple of hours to walk around, Speedy will be dead by then. No we have to go through – we have no choice Henry"

Henry sighed, pulling the knife from his pocket and unlocked it, then slowly walked from the cover of the wall, "Okay, keep close, this place gives me the shits!" he held his hand out and beckoned Gloria to the busted fence line, where the grass grew high and the torn rubbish bags blew in the wind, wrapped around the barbed wire along the top."really, you think we'll need that thing?" she said nodding to the knife. Henry looked down and smiled," Fuckin' A Sis, and i suggest you pick yourself up the biggest fuckin' stick you can find too, these smack heads don't mes around, if you know what I mean!"

He stopped at the makeshift entrance, the wires pulled back and tangled hazardously back on themselves, creating a hole through the web of rusted fencing, allowing access into the Wetlands to any would be fool. "watch your step, their are holes all over this place!" Henry said checking over Gloria's shoulders to the empty road, and pulling back one side to make it easier for her.

The road wasn't empty for very long.

Henry heard the familiar meaty exhausts again, before he saw the two cars drift around the corners with their tyres screeching, and pulled Gloria into the tall grass, "shit get down, they've found us!" He yelled, then tumbled over her. They rolled backwards into the grass and backed off into its depths as the two colorful cars skidded to a halt on the road in front of them. "RUN!" he shouted, and grabbed her collar, pushing her ahead of him, and they both stumbled into the boggy Wetlands, sloshing the funk and the stench of the marsh land up beneath them.

The Low men stepped out of their respected vehicles and walked over to the fence, their boots clicking menacingly on the bitumen. The first creature pulled back his long yellow trench coat and drew his revolver, firing half a dozen shots into the grass just behind Henry and Gloria, as the other checked for an adequate entry. He walked five meters down the barrier until he found the padlocked gate, and rattled the chain wrapped around the rusting handle, "Here,we go through here!" he barked to the other who had ceased firing and was now smelling the air with a grin."It smells just like your home, O,Tago" the creature laughed. But the other just scowled wiping his sweaty hand down his trench coat. The two Low men nodded to each other then returned to their gaudy coloured vehicles

The engine revved and the Blue Buick jolted forward ramming the fence, and then rolled backwards. A second attempt was required, and this time the fence sprang apart as the shiny blue vehicle smashed into it and rolled inside cautiously- like a cheetah on the prairie, stalking its would be victims. Behind it, the red Chrysler rolled inside the Wetlands and cruised off in the other direction to the Buick, sweeping deep and avoiding the upturned carcasses of the last decade of scrapped vehicles.

Ahead, the Wetlands waited.


	41. 4: Cat & Mouse

Henry watched as the red Plymouth Fury disappeared into the long grass and followed Gloria through the rusting pile of wrecked cars abandoned in the overgrown bog. The rusted chassis were piled three high and hung precariously in the air with their doors hanging on broken hinges and their tyres disintegrating. Broken wing mirrors and smashed glass littered the area as they crunched into the clearing, crouching behind a pile of ripped car seats, whose rusted springs curled up from the cracked and torn faded coverings like budding plants.

Gloria grabbed his jacket and pulled him in tight,"which way Henry…wheres the path?" she asked nervously. Henry put his finger to her lips and pointed to the grass, and they listened as the throaty exhaust of the red Plymouth fury pass behind the rusting wall of cars. They waited for the car to pass, then made their way over to the small track by the boggy oily wetland. Discarded oil drums lay in rusted columns, some rusted completely through, others only just beginning to fade under the summer sun, waiting to release the gunk inside into the wilderness, which was now a toxic dumping scoured the area for somewhere to hide and found a possible winner. In the bog, partially submerged, was the remains of an old greyhound bus.

"over there!" she pointed, and Henry nodded, the bus was the perfect hiding spot for them to wait out the circling vehicles. Cautiously, they scurried over and looked for a way in. The doors were rusted shut, but none of the windows had glass in the frames, and they saw the barrels stacked against the chassis made quick access possibly. Henry looked around then entwined his fingers together to make a step up for Gloria, she grabbed his collar and kicked up her leg. Her furry moccasins were soaked through, but he managed to keep a hold and push her up. she grabbed the rusting frame and dropped inside, reaching down for Henry, "quick its clear!" she whispered. Henry adjusted his backpack then scrambled up the makeshift drum staircase. The cars were doubling back now, having made a circuit of the broken tarmac road, and as he hurried over the last two barrels, he knocked one over, sending it clattering to the ground and rolling onto the pathway. He fell inside but Gloria caught him as they tumbled to the floor in a heap, rolling down the slight slope of the bus to the graffiti covered wall.

"quiet!" Gloria said, still in the embrace with her brother. Both exhausts could now be heard close by. They peered out of the small rusted holes and saw as the cars approached, holding their breath.

The blue Buick stopped on the track about fifty meters from the old bus where they lay, and two men in long yellow trench coats stepped out from the back of the vehicle, onto the soggy grass. Their faces were covered by trilby type hats, but Henry could make out unusual facial features on one, almost cat like. The other was peering into the driver side as the window was wound down. He seemed to be getting his orders from the driver who was waving his arm around in the direction of the bus and the rows of rusted oil drums. "If you find them, kill them- no hesitation!" the growl came from inside the cab. The other mans whiskers twitched as he nodded and walked away from the car.

The red Plymouth circled around the Blue Buick and the driver wound down his window and parked up next to it, "If he doesn't get the news he wants this time, he will gut us all for sure, don't screw it up – or you'll have to deal with the king next time, and not just his jester!" the horse face driver whinnied. He wound up his window and and fish tailed the car wildly on the soggy grass, spinning it in a 180 maneuver kicking up a spray of stinking watery slime towards the two foot soldiers. They turned their backs and the yellow trench coats took the bulk of the splash from the exiting vehicle.

Both Henry and Gloria watched wide eyed and shocked at the two men approaching with their guns raised, because they were not men at all. One had the striking resemblance to the cartoon character Tom, and the other, well he had the unmistakable features of Jerry.

"Holly Shit!" Henry mouthed, turning to Gloria. Gloria returned the gaze with a deeply worried frown, "What the hell is going on?"

The two Lowmen, Tom and Jerry, slowly patrolled the area directly in front of the bus, but thankfully for Gloria and Henry, they hadn't seen the bus …yet.

The first Lowman,Tom, scanned the area as the second, Jerry, peered over the discarded oil drums. Gloria adjusted her positions slowly to allow Henry to move his arm that had bent awkwardly behind his back. As they shifted the panel below them creaked and banged as the weight shifted. She stopped quickly,holding her breath once more, hoping that the prowlers outside had not heard the rusting floor give their position away.

Tom turned,his ears pricked at the sound of the rusted steel panels buckling and whistled over to Jerry, who also heard the creaking."The bus!" Tom ordered to his subordinate, and Jerry nodded. The two low men made for the bus and separated, Tom making for the doors- and Jerry to the rear of the junked transporter to where the barrels were stacked. They sneered as they nodded to each other, their pray was already doomed in their eyes just for being simple humans. _This will be over in a heartbeat_,Tom thought, the two victims would lie dead at his feet and he would receive the appreciation from all the other Taheen warriors for his swift and decisive actions. Soon he,Shemus O'Tago, would enter the Crimson Kings court, and bask in the wonder of folk lore. Both Human and Can toi will bow and serve him, the filthy creatures that they are, and he will wallow in riches bestrode on him by his grateful master.

O'Tago strode over to the doors without fear, and kicked the panel in, he did not see the point of sneaking around, not when it was only humans that were the hunted. Only the Can toi had less skill when it came to sneaking up on their doors swung open with a bang, "Come out ,come out where ever you are…" Tom hissed with a wide grin on his face, and walked into the silent bus.

Henry realised that their cover was blown, and looked around for the best way out. Gloria was also searching for possible evacuation points, and something to use as a weapon. "if they come through the door we will have to charge them down, i'll do my best to grab him- you run okay" Henry said clutching his knife. Gloria turned to the window, "If they come from the back, take the opposite window, it will give us some time- god what are they, they look hideous" she said zipping up her jacket. They readied themselves for the charge as the doors clanged open at the front of the bus, "Come out come out wherever you are…"

O'Tago climbed the rusted steps inside and stood menacingly at the front of the bus, like a gunfighter ready for high noon, and then smiled at what he saw at the other end. "Well well, looks like the Dean family miss the boat again eh!" he raised his gun and fired two shots at Gloria and Henry as they looked at each other, "don't even think about running humans!" Jerry popped up along side them, sticking his own gun through the window and cackled as he wobbled on the drums below. O'Tago took a step forward, and fired again. this time the bullet ricochet above them, and they ducked. "stand up and die like the mangy dogs you are." Gloria looked at the low man climbing through the window and then back to the cat ahead of them. She lunged for the mouse as he was half in and half out of the bus, "Run Henry!" she screamed, smashing her elbow into Jerry's face. "GRAB HER MUNGUS!" O'Tago snarled.

Henry dived to the side rocking the bus, and ran forward as another shot rang out, this time striking the panel to his left as O'Tago laughed. Henry lunged forward readying himself to meet his would be assailant. Gloria was trying to prize the gun from Mungus but he already had her by the throat and was pulling her out the window. She struggled hard kicking her feet out and lashing out with her fists as her body hung half in and half out of the window. He throttled her throat and brought his gun down on her head hard. She flayed out and screamed as they both tumbled from the window, the barrels wobbling and falling like dominoes to the ground in an almighty din.

Henry heard her scream as he side stepped and zagged towards O'Tago whose sneer had become a snarl. The Taheen aimed his gun again and fired, shooting Henry in the leg and he went tumbling to the ground in pain. He yelled out as his leg gave way, and staggered against the wall, standing up again as the low man smiled, "looky looky here comes hooky.." he raised the gun once more and fired again, this time the bullet pierced his back pack and spun him side ways. Henry heard Gloria cry out as her body fell from the bus and he shouted out in anger, then lunged for the beast. He actually did make it to his attacker, but the low man just smacked him to the floor with the butt of his gun and kicked him to the ground. "Henry, poor show, I thought you'd have something better than that…" O'Tago snarled, thumbing back on the hammer and pulling the trigger. _Click _the gun had emptied and he sneered, kicking out at the boy by his feet. He reached down and grabbed Henry by the back pack, pulling him up off the ground. Henry swung out and connected with the cat like jaw with a crack, but all he got was another sneer as he was dropped from a height back to the floor, and stamped on. "Feeble human!" O'Tago snarled and raised his Cuban heeled boot over Henry's head and readied to crunch down on his skull, when the crashing of the oil drums caused him to look up.

Gloria landed with a clatter as the oil drums banged to the ground around her. She turned round to see where her attacker was, and saw his arm under one of the drums. She stood up and began to run from the bus as a shot rang out and Henry yelled, but she did not stop. Instead she left him there and ran to the pile of cars that had been cubed and crushed. A second shot rang out and again Henry yelled, but she kept running- she was no hero. She was scared, and the tears began to flow again as she ran for her life. Ran far from the plight of her brother, each stride of her bumbler moccasins slapping down in the mucky water was another stride away from her brother who desperately needed her help.

Mungus shook his mouse like head head and reached for his gun, but Gloria was gone. He stumbled to his feet and wandered to the front of the bus as Shemus O'Tago dragged the bloodied body of Henry behind him. "where is she?" he growled, throwing the limp bleeding body to the boggy ground between them. "I don't know, she got …" but before Mungus could finish, Shemus O Tago's empty pistol whipped him across his jaw, crunching his teeth and sending him sprawling to the ground next to Henry. "You're as worthy as the Can Toi, fool!"

Shemus O'Tago kicked out at Henry, who made no sound, and pulled up his sagging trousers. Then he stepped over both bodies as The Red Fury Plymouth swept around the corner.

Gloria was sobbing heavily as she climbed the scrap pile, her thoughts only on self preservation as she did so. She was alone again, and out of breathe and ideas. All she could do, was find Speedy Parker, and hope he was still alive.

She turned back and looked down at the bus below, and saw Henry being dragged by the Cat-man. His limp bloodied body thrown to the ground like a piece of discarded garbage…and she burst into tears again, helpless. She sobbed into her hands and thought of Dale and the Gunslinger.


	42. 4: Runaway

Gloria buried her head in her cold hands and wept into them uncontrollably. She had no idea what to do now. Down below her, the red car doors slammed as the body of her brother was loaded into the boot by two new arrivals. If she moved now she would be spotted for sure, so she sat in the small alcove the wrecked cars made, and waited. The rain began as the grey clouds gathered above, and she wished she had never taken the trip to the beach three days ago…had it only been three days?

She wiped away her tears and sniffed her nose clear, peering down to the commotion below. The cat like man was leaning over his bleeding partner and shaking his shoulders profusely, and she watched as the bleeding man nodded and flinched with each slap to his face. Cat man was now talking to the two men with poorly crafted halloween type masks on their faces, as they walked from the rear of the car. He slapped one of the men and gestured to the mound she was hiding in, and then pointed to the path that meandered into the wreckers yard for the benefit of the other. She heard cat man calling them stupid Can Toi filth, but they only stood there nodding. Her gaze followed the path as best she could see, and saw it lead through the boggy site towards the bridge where Speedy Parker lay.

The two masked men left the vicinity of the red car, following behind the cat like creature. This left the dazed man in the yellow coat to wipe his bloody whiskers and stay back to watch the car. The other car, the Blue Buick, was way over the far side of the wetlands, cruising along the track running parallel to the turnpike.

She had two options, three if you counted sit and wait to be caught. Her first option was to climb back down the other side and make a run for the hole in the fence, forgetting about Speedy and Henry. The other option was to try and outrun the masked men, and get to Speedy before they found either of them. But before she had a chance to decide, the decision was made for her.

A scrawny hand pointed up at the pile and she heard the owner squealing at the others, she panicked and scrambled up the trash, and pulled herself over the top. The two masked men followed quickly as Shemus O'Tago hissed out his orders. Gloria tumbled down the far side of the mountain of trash, and splashed at the bottom, onto her side. Something jabbed her ribs painfully and she clasped her hand to her chest, feeling the bulge in her pocket with realisation. Eddies toy gun.

She stumbled to her feet and ran around the fallen scrap as the cascading metal crashed down and fell around her. Without thought she ran to the clearing where the red plymouth fury was parked and pulled from her pocket the ray gun that Eddie had given her, pointing it at the dazed low man by the car. He jumped backwards with his bloody hands raised. "Get on the ground mister, NOW… Before i zap your ass!" she screamed as she ran towards the drivers side.

The stunned low man obliged, getting on all fours and lying on the ground, as she made for the door. "don't move…or i'll ..i'll blast your face off!" she spat, grabbing at the handle and yanking the door open. The metal toy ray gun clattered on the roof as she ducked inside, and slammed the door shut. Her heart was banging in her chest as she fumbled for the keys hanging on a ludicrous chain, but she managed to start the engine with a roar, and a stamp on the gas pedal. The radio sprung to life, the green background lit up and the singer blasted out his desire to be taken home to paradise city and she gunned the pedal again and slammed the gear shift forward. The Fury lurched forward as the low man jumped to his feet, but he was too slow. The front fender caught his shoulder and sent him spinning to the wet ground with a splash. Gloria sped on, heading for the gap in the scrapped cars, fish tailing on the boggy Fury was heading straight for Shemus O'tago, who was now bounding down the scrap heap with his trench coat billowing and flapping in the face of the masked man behind him as they both tried to escape the oncoming speeding vehicle.

The car smashed against the stacked oil drums as Gloria screamed, fighting for control, bouncing over the deep holes in the ground. The radio flicked to another channel, this time it was blasting out "my little runaway" as she was flipped from side to side with each over steer. The car weaved first into the masked man, and Gloria could have sworn she had little do do with that maneuver , as the demasked Can Toi and its ratty face smacked against the hood and disappeared under the bonnet with a shriek. Once again she had to fight to regain some control of the car. Suddenly, the path opened out in front of her and Gloria could see the bridge ahead, she screamed as she floored the pedal harder,"oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!" she squealed as the fear left her for a moment and the adrenaline kicked in. She screamed out again in utter relief as she checked in the rear view mirror and saw the ratty faced man being spat out from under the tyres, barreling as his arms spun out wildly. The pathway straightened and she saw the tunnel ahead. The radio retuned, this time telling her that the town was not big enough for two of them as Shemus O'Tago bounced of the bonnet and came to a crunching halt against a stack of oil drums, his arm twisted like a christmas bow over his trilby.

Henry lay semi conscious inside the boot of the car, his head filled with the shooting white pain each time it hit the metalwork surround of the light stack. He could move his hand now and reached up to his bleeding head and winced. The bastard had almost caved his skull in with the second blow, and had it not been for the intervention of something outside, he was sure the beating would have continued, and no doubt killed him. He had little recollection of how he got into the boot of the car, only that playing possum was his best bet until he regained some of his thoughts. His shot up leg was screaming out for attention, but it would have to wait until he could get free of the darkness.

The car catapulted him up this time, smashing him against the top of the boot, and he let out a scream. The tyre iron dislodged and fell against his face with a thwack, he cursed out and grabbed for it before it could do any more damage. They were in a hurry for sure, and he feared for his life- had Gloria managed to escape? Or where they chasing her now?

He pictured her being mowed down and ran over by the car each time it crunched over a bump or hit something below. He winced as he was sure he could hear shrieks of torture coming from underneath him, the clatter of limbs as they crunched and snapped against the burning exhaust, and mangled against the turning cam shaft.

Then the bouncing eased, and Henry readied himself for daylight.


	43. 4:For a Good Time Call Bango

Gloria glanced back in the rear view mirror and saw none of the men following her, and breathed a sigh of relief. Her hands were shaking as they clutched the wheel tightly, her knuckles white with tension. Never in her life had she done something so bold as to wave a gun in someones face and hijack their car. Okay, so it was a toy gun- and the victim had tried to kill her, but never the less she was amazed at how simple it was. She skidded the stolen car to a halt near the tunnel she had left Speedy behind in, and took a moment to gather her thoughts. The tears were welling in her eyes as she thought about poor Henry, but as they began to roll down her cheeks she punched her leg, _dont you dare…dont you dare cry_ She wiped them away with the heel of her hands and opened the car door. Then she bent down and released the trunk catch.

Gloria tried to stand, but her legs were shaking too bad to control. She had to pull herself up by the door to get out and it took a moment for her to regain composure before she was able to walk to the rear of the car. She had seen Henry being bundled into the car motionless, and feared the worst. There was blood smeared on the chrome, and she was unsure if it was from Henry or the half rat half man thing she had ran over. She watched as the rain drops splashed onto the blood, and trickled through it in diluted streaks, running off the chrome edge to the muddy ground.

Reaching for the trunk and quietly praying, Gloria promised herself she would not cry out this time. But as she opened the hinged door, that was exactly what she done.

Henry emerged swinging the tyre jack wildly at her, and she fell back screaming for him to stop.  
"Gloria!" he shouted, dropping the makeshift weapon and holding out his bloodied hand, "how the fuck did you get away from those freaks?" he asked amazed, and turning to see if she was actually free. She clutched at her chest smiling and reached out for his arm, " i took a ballsy leaf out of your book of bluffs, come on…we gotta hurry Henry…I only winged them" she replied pulling him from the darkness of the trunk. He fell forward on his injured leg and Gloria saw that his left leg was soaked in blood from the crotch to the knee. "oh no Henry, did he shoot you?" she asked stupidly. Henry cringed in pain as he was man handled from the trunk, and grabbed at his swelling head, "yeh, the fucker was gonna blow my head off until you took out his oppo…then he tried to burry my head into the deck of the fuckin' bus with his boot!" he winced as he felt the huge lump on his head. She looked on with sympathetic pain as he stumbled forward. " check the back pack Gloria, i t'ink I packed some pain killers…ghee it feels like my eyeballs are gonna explode!" he moaned.

She unzipped the bag and fumbled around for the drugs, pulling a flashlight and rolled bandage from the recess " here, i need to get Speedy, wait here I wont be long. If they come down the road," she pointed the way they had just came," peep the horn okay" she smiled. " i'm glad you're okay Henry" Henry frowned, "yeh, top of the frickin' world sis!"

As Gloria climbed the embankment, she turned back to see Henry getting himself out of the rain and was now unzipping his jeans to inspect his wound, struggling into the seat behind the wheel of the Plymouth Fury. She turned and scurried up the grassy slope,stopping only to catch her breathe at the top. It all looks so different she thought, taking a moment to survey the scenery. Their had always been trash scattered around the site, but never to this standard. The graffiti on the cement walls was thick with smutty remarks and angry comments. The same mark that had been on the bench in the basketball park was also daubed heavily over the crumbling leg of the bridge towering above her. Blue coffins with the letter underscored beneath them seemed to be scrawled all over the bridge. what does that stand for? she wondered as she jumped down with a splash into the pathway that led her to Speedys hidey hole.

Gloria wiped her wet grassy hands on her jacket and ran to the tunnels entrance…and then stopped.

The entrance to the tunnel was blocked by a wall of rubbish, piled several meters high. She gasped wondering where all the rubbing had come from, and looked up above the entrance with panic. The rain was cascading down over the entrance washing more rubbish over the edge. What if Speedy was under the avalanche of waste?

She clicked the flashlight on and began shouting out Speedys name, scrambling over the filthy rotting bags filled with things she really didn't want to know about. The gap at the side was just big enough for her to squeeze through and she shone the beam down and peered inside.  
The stench was foul, and she was reminded of the smell that welcomed her the first time- but this was so much more …funkier. She actually gagged this time but continued inside calling out his name through her hand. He did not respond.

The tunnel was empty, of speedy parker at least. The rubbish was piled high all around, everywhere she pointed the torch she saw filth. And on the walls, more sprayed blue coffins. She shone it deep into the gloom, but only saw more shit, and daubed obscenities covering the visible portions of the cobbled walls.  
"Speedy…Eli Parker…I'm here" she called frantically. But he did not reply. It made no sense, this is where she had left him- wasn't it?. Gloria leant against the wall, feeling dizzy and sick, and then stumbled. The torch fell and cast its beam high up the wall beside her as she slumped for a moment. The rain fell outside as she looked back through the gap she had climbed through,and saw only grayness. It filled her with despair and defeat, _where is he? He should be here – i dont understand_

"SPEEDY…Eli!" she called out, and once again she fought the urge to cry. It was no use, she let the despair in and began to sob uncontrollably. He was gone. But how, it made no sense. He wouldn't leave without her- would he?

As she sat there sobbing she realized that Speedy had never really been there…here. Not since she had left the cave and thrown up outside the basketball court. Things had…moved on, isn't that what the Gunslinger had said to her. She had left Eli Parker to die in the darkness of another place, and gone todash herself again when she threw up- she had moved on, leaving Eli to die all alone. Thats why the basketball court had changed when she returned, thats why the tunnel had changed when she returned. If she had only listened to Speedy and stayed with him she might have been able to save him. Who was she kidding. what- what am I supposed to do now?

It was the horn blasts outside that brought her from her despair, and she wiped her face, reaching for the torch. She leant forward to pick it up…and stopped. Gloria was facing the wall that the light beam was shining on, and saw something new.

Something daubed in red paint…


	44. 4: For A Good Time (cont)

Gloria reached out and sniffed back the snot in her nose, picking up the torch and shining it against the tunnel wall. At first she could not make out what the graffiti was saying, but as she got to her scuffed and bloodied knees she drew in a breath.

_FOR A GOOD TIME CALL BANGO 173 771H :D_

She touched the cold wall with her bloodied finger nails and trailed a finger around the bloody lettering, then looked down to the logo on her neoprene surfers suit. BANGO SKANK SURF. It was a sign from Speedy to her, surely. But how?

The car horn outside echoed again, this time in four short blasts and Gloria turned to the light shining through the gap she had crawled, okay,okay…give me a second henry…dammit  
she mumbled as she looked around for something to take down the phone number on the wall. from the opposite end of the tunnel something stirred, and she spun in fright, shining the torch into the darkness. The noise stopped. Her heart began to race as the torch flickered and she smacked it awake again. She turned her attention back to the wall and began drawing the numbers on her bloodied leg but it just smudged in a crimson mess. Then the dragging noises began again, and this time she shouted, "whose their…Speedy… Is that you?" She was answered with silence again and panic began to rise inside her.

Gloria dropped the torch and began fumbling for something in her pockets. She found what she was looking for-the small lump in her surf suit and unzipped the little pocket on her leg, meant for keeping things like car keys and...well exactly what she was looking for -her zinc cream.

She always kept a tube for sun protection, and this one was brightly coloured orange. She managed a triumphant short lived smile as she began taking down the details on the wall.

_**173 7714:D**_

What the :D was for, she had no idea- smiley face perhaps- but as she squatted on her knee, she scrawled the phone number down her exposed leg checking she had written it down correctly. _This is a message from speedy Parker i'm sure of it _she thought as another blast of the horn sounded. Only this time the Horn blast continued without a break.

Gloria got to her feet, and shone the torch down the dark end of the tunnel and hesitated, the noises shuffled from behind the stacked bags. RUN! she shrieked in her head and ran for the entrance, the horn blast echoing down the tunnel and ringing in her ears now._ Shit…they're coming, and I still have to get down to the embankment_ she panicked looking back at the darkness sweeping up from the far side of the tunnel, and almost lost her footing. The shuffling had become a stumble now and she screamed out in terror as the entranc_e god don't let me die in here, not in this stinking cess pool …let me get out into the sunshine please_! she leapt onto the bags and grabbed what she could, the torch still tightly in her grasp. She kicked her way up and over as something grabbed at her leg, something cold and boney that hissed out, but she kicked back and tumbled down from the rubbish blocking her escape and fell out into the bright sunlight and heavy rainfall

She fell on her back squinting up at the sun that poked through the gap in the road bridge above and turned around with the torch raised ready to defend herself, and waited for her assailant to pounce. She saw the red eyes peering from the gloom, but nothing ventured from it, and with that she took her chance and ran for the car.

Inside the tunnel, the pale creature cursed through pointed bared teeth, as the sunlight shone through the damaged barricade that he and the other night walkers had constructed. He lifted his boney fingers to protect his face, his long dirty finger nails casting shadows on the curved walls, and inched closer to see the girl, now outside, run from their lair. They would have to move again, she would bring others now.

Henry had been dressing his leg wound when he had heard the dull drone of the blue Buicks exhaust in the distance, ahead of him. He realized that the other freaks would be picked up and they would be heading straight for Gloria and him in no time and so he hit the horn. He tightened the bandage around his thigh, and zipped up his jeans, then popped another 2 of the pain killers just for good measure. His eye was swelling up, causing him to lose a good portion of visibility from it, and his head was throbbing like a bugger now. He reached up again but winced, vowing not to even bother feeling it again.

While he waited he checked the interior out, searching for any items that would hint at what the hell the things were that had just tried to kill them both. But apart from a yellow trench coat, and a flier for what looked like a sightseeing trip, there was nothing much. The car did stink of something though, barbeque meat. Henry wrinkled his nose and reached under the seat, fumbling around for the cause. His stomach rumbled as the smell continued to intrigue, and it didn't take long for him to find it. A sealed bag of cooked meat, with the word " Dixie Pig Diner " scrawled over it. He pulled the bag open and his stomach rumbled again, as he stared inside. The unfamiliar cuts of white meat, that attracted Henry looked tempting at first, but something made him recoil and he threw it to the ground._ I'm gonna regret that _he sighed and saw the blue Buick emerge from the yard, lights blazing. He spun around and blasted the horn four times, Gloria didn't have long.


	45. 4:Duel

Henry leaned inside the car and hit the horn again, this time it rang out long and brash "come on Gloria, shift that ass of yours…bastards are nearly here" he cursed under his breath smacking the roof of the Fury rapidly as he turned to see the Buick's headlights flashing in anger as they approached. It was no good, if he stayed any longer they would both be caught again, and this time their would be no eleventh hour reprieve.

He slid inside,closing the door, then buckled the belt and tested the restraint. There was only one road entering and leaving the wetlands, and at the moment, two cars occupied it. Henry gunned the Plymouth, wincing as the pain shot up his leg, and turned it around to face the oncoming headlights,"Okay wise guys…lets see how brave you fucks really are!" he turned and looked to the embankment hoping to see Gloria emerge, but she was still inside. "maybe this will give you some time to get away Sis' "he frowned and squeezed the steering wheel tighly, his knuckles white. He looked in the rear view mirror and tried to convince himself this was a good idea, "hell if dennis weaver can do it so can i."He laughed at the thought of him and his kid brother Eddie, sneaking in to see the hotly anticipated billboards feature film only the other week, and Henry had wondered if people actually did play chicken on the roads the way the likes of the rebel james Dean had so woefully depicted. The film they had gone to see had scared Eddie senseless, but Henry, oh Henry longed for the chance to get behind the wheel of a car and tear hell for leather down the road, running his victim off the track in a fiery explosion.

And with that Henry floored the gas pedal and roared down the road to fight his own Duel, only this was no rusty Peterbilt Tanker truck trying to ram him off the road- the contest was pretty much even- and it wasn't even his car.

The Plymouth roared as it pounced forward, spitting loose wads of turf and gravel behind it, accompanied by Henrys yells of Yeeha! as he squinted through his battered eye. The oncoming Buick flashed its lights and swerved back and forward, hesitated for a moment – then, in mutual acceptance of the challenge, gunned its own accelerator -and both cars rocketed towards the finish line barely 500meters down the road.

Shemus O'Tego slapped the hesitant Can Toi rat creature with his good arm,the other had been broken at the elbow, as he eased off the gas pedal, "Faster fuckit, Run them from the road and get it over with!" he spat and the rat man obeyed, flooring the pedal again, regaining control of the Buick. The other passenger in the back, Mungus, was now nursing his bloody nose, which complimented his smashed teeth and ribs-the result of losing the car that now hurtled towards them, earlier.

Gloria stumbled up the embankment turning back and making sure the creature from the gloom was not following her, and puffed an exhausted sigh of relief when she heard nothing. She did however hear the revving of engines over the grassy knoll, and scrambled to the top to see the red Fury careering up the track towards the Blue Buick at high speed. "Oh no …Henry, what are you doing?"She could only watch on in horror as the two cars closed in, neither giving up the position, although the Buick did seem to be weaving erratically .

Henry focussed and grinned madly through his teeth as the distance closed, and heard the radio crackle to life. The green glow lit up the dashboard as the haunting warbles of "tell laura i love her" sang out, and he joined in as his grin widened. He saw the approaching driver clearly now, his wide staring eyes darting from the track to the passenger as he fought over the wheel with him.

"keep your foot down and keep us on the road runt!" Shemus O'Tego ordered, snatching the wheel from the rat who was readying to fold. The rat man squealed his objections yanking the steering wheel down hard in vain – as the cars collided

Gloria screamed as the Blue Buick swerved to avoid Henrys Red Plymouth, but they collided and spun wildly around each other as both back ends lifted. The Buick flipped onto its side and lifted from the ground, barreling high and then splashing down in the boggy wetland, wheels up. The red Plymouth crunched down as the front tyre collapsed under the chassis, grinding out a groove in the tracks surface, and ripping the panelling from the passenger side. She watched the car bounce and over correct itself as the horn blasted and the hood sprang up and flapped back against the windshield, blocking Henrys view. Gloria ran down the slope screaming Henrys name as she watched the flames erupted from the engine and engulf the car.

Henry felt the seat belt bite as his head was instantly snapped forward,the glass shattering around him in a deafening blast. He had let go of the steering wheel but had not readied himself for the impact and his arms flew up like he was part of a mexican wave. The next thing he saw was the flames as the car crunched along on its broken axel, and he tried to focus on getting out. His head ached and his ears rang out but he was still able to see from his good eye, and tried to release the catch. The flames licked against the hood that was still upright, giving him some protection, but he knew he had little time…


	46. 4: Christine

Gloria ran through the rain, her heart pounding as she passed the upturned blue Buick, the cars spinning wheels slowly turning to a stop. She heard fading bangs coming from under the water, but did not stop, her attention was on the Red Plymouth Fury that was still trundling slowly from the crash site with dampening flames now smoking from the exposed engine.

She reached the driver side door and pulled the handle, as one side of the smoldering car rolled off the road and over the verge, finally stopping on a tilt in the shallow waters of the murky bog . The door was jammed or locked,and Gloria could see Henry slummed inside the smoking cab with his head rolling on his shoulders. "HENRY!" she screamed banging against the glass, but he did not respond. She pulled harder but the door would not budge, and in frustration, she kicked out feebly at the door panel. She frantically tried the back door, but again it too was locked and she began to panic and the helpless tears began to flow once more, not again don't lose him to this evil car again she begged as she pounded down on the roof with her fist in frustration. Tears mingled with the rain as she returned to the drivers door and pulled at the handle with all her remaining strength screaming at the car as she did so, "give me back my brother you bastard…you're not having him this time…you hear me, not this time!" She kicked and punched and spat out in defeat at the car, as the faded memories of Henry being struck by the same car all those years ago flashed into her head, "NOT AGAIN!" she screamed again, as she slumped exhausted against it. The image of Henry dying on the roadside once again emerged, with her as a small child cradling him as he faded, and once more the sobs of self pity began. The red Plymouth Fury mocked her As it burned.

For a moment their was silence, only the settling of the cars warped paneling as it cooled and clunked. Then she heard the passenger side door unlock and looked up as it swung open freely. Gloria ran around to the other side of the car, and almost stumbled over into the shallow boggy water it had rolled into, but managed to grab the open door and steady herself. She choked back on the exhaust fumes and ducked inside the car, reaching out for her brother, "Henry HENRY!" she shouted as she pulled at his shoulder. He did not respond, and she cursed, fumbling around for his seat belt. The fumes made her eyes sting, and she was coughing continuously, but she had reached over his waist and found the catch. She pressed it and the seat belt retracted. Henry slumped to the side, but Gloria yanked his body and it slid down towards her, blood running from the gash in his head. She heaved again, and managed to pull him to the opposite side and stumble outside the car. It took another three almighty heaves to get him to the door, but somehow she managed, and struggled exhausted as she pulled him free sending them both splashing into the bog together.

Gloria stumbled and dragged his limp body to the rear of the car, pulling him onto the verge with great effort. The rain was a drizzle now but her bare legs were shaking with a combination of cold and adrenalin, and the phone number she had scrawled on one of them had smudged and was now dribbling down into her moccasin. She checked his breathing but couldn't tell if he was or not. She lay him flat on his back and lifted his chin, then Gloria lent over and opened his mouth and began breathing for him, two long lungfuls of breath. Then she lent over him to listen, before she began to press on his chest. Henry responded with a gasp of pain as Gloria pushed down hard on his chest, his cracked ribs howling in pain, but she laughed out and sniffed hard, "Henry…you stupid fool, you nearly got yourself killed!" she laughed as she sobbed, cradling her brother in her arms. Henry looked up at her, then over to the creaking car that was still groaning behind them, and smiled, "Did we catch ourselves any big fish Sis' ?" She laughed out and hugged him tighter, turning to the upturned Buick in the bog, "oh Henry, I think your basket is full!…don't worry, they are all gone" hoping the banging she had heard earlier had stopped.

Henry sat in his sisters lap for a moment, as she hugged him tight wrapping herself around her brother, and he noticed the zinc numbers running down her leg, "wheres your mate…Speedy?" he asked, looking around.

"he wasn't there, I'm not sure he ever was…there I mean, but someone left me a sign- a phone number" she began, wiggling her leg. Henry looked at the numbers again and squinted, turning his head to the side like a confused puppy dog;

I73 77I4:)

only what he saw was not a sequence of numbers, but an upside down name.

(: hILL ELI

"its not a phone number Sis' …its a name!" he said. Gloria looked down and saw only the phone number she had scrawled."no, its a phone number Henry, what do you see?"

"D hill Eli…"

She frowned, and then, like one of the magic pictures you had to stare at for an age to solve – she saw it, and it dawned on her."Eli"Speedy Parker wanted her to go to Dutch hill, he had told her- take me to the old mansion on Dutch Hill, Take me home!"

Gloria gasped aloud, realising how stupid she had been all along, speedy Parker was trying to return to Dutch hill, trying to get back to a time and a place, a place that was familiar to him, a place where he could die. She never understood him until now, "Henry we have to go to dutch hill…remember the mansion, the haunted mansion?" Henry was feeling his ribs and wincing with each soft touch," He lives there? shit sis' that's way over the other side of town an' I need to go lie down. I don't think i can walk over to the path – let alone Dutch hill!" He winced again as she pulled her let from out under him and checked the number again. "No, we_ have_ to go Henry, I'm sure of it," Gloria began as the Plymouth's crunched body work beveled and creaked turned to see that the damage made by the impact did not look as severe as it did when she had witnessed the crash, in fact the paneling on Henry's side seemed unblemished by the encounter. "Henry!" she gasped for the second time as she watched the dent in the door pop out and fix itself. Henry turned and squinted over to the wreck behind him, only it was far from the car wreck he had just been pulled from.

As they watched in disbelief, The 1958 red Plymouth Fury's bonnet fell back down over the smoking engine with a bang. The large fold that had creased bonnet slowly stretched tight and faded to nothing but a smooth surface. as did the buckled wing panel, that had been crunched up like an accordion, slowly and neatly it separated each tangled piece of metal like a set of curtains being drawn for the evening. The smashed windshield pieced itself together, shard by shard as they tumbled upward from the dashboard like shiny twinkling soldier diamonds getting into rank. The wheels, buckled and broken, listed to the side on the busted crank shaft- then lifted the car from its resting place, and stood to attention under the wheel arches as the crunching banged from underneath the chassis.

Henry and Gloria sat frozen watching the unbelievable spectacle, unable to say anything- just staring as the car reassembled itself. Even the limp wing mirrors that dangled against the doors shuddered then slid back against their mounts and rotated into position like eager puppies wagging their tails. The car crunched and banged as it flexed and popped its paneling, the sheen on them previously scorched, now slowly un-faded and blazed red once more. Inside, the radio pulsed awake, the green glow illuminating the dashboard as the rocker billy guitar rang out from the speakers, and Jim Nesbitt began singing…

"_…I got a tiger in my tank boys, watch out!" _then the engine roared into life.

"Holy shit, are you seeing this?" Henry said slack jawed. Gloria nodded, her mouth gaping, "uhhu" was all she could manage. They listened to the music twanging away over the sound of the revving engine, as the newly assembled doors popped open again and the car awaited their presence. They just sat on the wet grass as the rain began again, and looked at each other in utter disbelief. As they waited, the windshield wipers began swishing the water from the glass slowly- an intermittent _what are you waiting for _from the car. It sat idling in the rain as Jim faded away, waiting for Gloria and Henry to accept the ride.

"what d' ya' reckon?" Henry said looking up at his sister, who hadn't taken her eyes from the idling car. She slowly lowered her gaze, her wet hair stuck to he forehead as the rain rolled down her cheeks,"I'm not sure…It would get us out off the rain at least" she replied, wiping hanging hair from her eyes. The car revved impatiently at this. "I think it wants us to move Sis'" he added as Gloria turned back to the upturned car and noticed movement in the was surfacing "sure, whatever, lets get you up Henry" and with that she hauled Henry to his feet and supported his weight. Henry moaned but staggered forward, as Gloria shuffled him towards the open rear door, "i'll get you in the back, I don't suppose i need to worry about driving this thing" she said lowering him onto the leather seat and closing the door. He tried a smile but was in too much pain to respond. The smell was still there, the lingering barbecued smell that caused his belly to rumble once more. Gloria noticed it too as she stood up and turned back to see the man who had pulled her from the old bus was now pulling himself from the upturned wreck Further down the track. He was panting and struggling for air as he crawled up the embankment, coughing and choking on the foul water. She watched the pitiful site, and saw the horrendous deformed facial features of a creature, not a man as she first thought. He turned his bloodied face towards her, but paid no attention as he lay there gasping for air.

The car blasted its horn and Gloria turned and stepped into the driver seat, and the door shut behind her. She turned round to check on Henry, and he gave her the thumbs up, "…the meters running sis' better tell it where we want to go!' he coughed. She smiled then turned back to the steering wheel and carefully grabbed a hold of the leather.

"so what now…are you taking us to dutch Hill or what?"

The car revved and pulled away, wheel spinning in the gravel, sending Gloria back into her seat as Henry rolled in the back.

On the floor, the Dixie Pig Diner take away bags slid around the discarded fliers, the bags contents spilling out and filling his nose with the aroma of long pork. Henry ignored the not unpleasant aroma, instead he lifted the flier of the ground and began to read the in flight material:

_"..,Thank you for choosing Fedic Tours, please enjoy an insight into our brief history…"_


	47. 4: Dixie Pig

Gloria sat behind the wheel watching as the NewYork city scenery flashed by the window, her thoughts filled with fear and caught herself turning back to check on Henry, not to make sure he was alright, but rather to make sure he was still there. The last few days had been confusing to say the least, but the fact that she was now sat in a demonically possessed car that seemed to drive on its own accord, in a time that – in her mind, had long gone, with a brother who incidentally had been killed by the very same car…was to her completely insane. The whole thing was madness, and yet here it was. Henry was still the same to her, his annoying cursing mannerisms and outlook had not changed. His devotion to her was as obvious to her now as it was all those years ago when, in her time, he had saved both her and Eddy from a cruel and certain death. It made little sense.

So why was she here now? What purpose did Eli Parker have in bringing her with him, if he wasn't going to hang around. Did he know she would run off for help, and find comfort in discovering both her brothers still alive? Was that what he had intended to do all along?

The car swerved onto the freeway, bouncing over the grassed kerb, and Gloria had to restrain herself from grabbing the wheel as it spun wildly. "hey listen to this sis," Henry called from the back seat waving the flyers he had picked up from the floor. The front of the flyer was emblazoned with prison inmates with exaggerated black prisoner arrows from old movies, fleeing from menacing troopers with machine guns, cutting men down in bloody cold blood with gleeful the fleeing prisoners, the back drop of New York and the twin trade centers, with smoke bellowing from the windows. The trade towers were made up as the sep 11 date in bold capital lettering.

"thank you again for taking the time to read our brochure and visit the wonders of this day in American history – September 11th . A few helpful hints on your visit to the enchanting time of yesteryear. And remember, for those of you that have purchased the 1971 September 11th Attica package, a bonus date in history – september 11th 2001 is available for a short time only." Henry looked up at his sisters face," is this another reference to one of your Gunslinger friends magic doors Sis?" Gloria looked at him puzzled and took one of the flyers from him. "doesn't mean anything to me Henry- and, I told you, he is not my friend, he just found us on the beach is all" she protested. Henry smiled," yeh and then he made you those ugly shoes because he hated you…right Sis whatever you say!" Gloria looked down at the gunslingers well crafted moccasins and ignored his ribbing, " what about you…does the day september 11 mean anything?" she replied, reading the promo cover. Henry sat up, and wished he hadn't made such a quick movement, his chest exploded in sharp pain, " yeh, only the biggest fuckin shoot out in the history of New York prison riots," he laughed," man, they slaughtered them- poor bastards" Henry chuckled shaking his head.

Gloria remembered, _the Attica riots_ she thought back to when she was just a kid , trying hard to remember the news reports." yes,I remember that …sep 11th 1971, wasn't that the day they killed the guard in the prison riot?" Henry nodded,"yeh, and the guards opened up on them,took 40 or so of the crazies out before the prison was taken over again" she looked down at the other date, the bonus date," …something else must happen then, something thirty years later, in september 11th 2001…another riot maybe. Only more people killed perhaps?" she looked up as the beauty of the twin towers loomed over the city in the distance, then back down to the image depicting the smoke around them on the flyer…and frowned._do these animal people time travel to see these things happen?_ It dawned on her that the doors she saw opened on the beach where openings to other times, and like speedy, they could travel to certain dates to see things…_as entertainment!_ she felt sick. _These…things where traveling around time, looking for death to get cheap thrills for kicks. but why are they looking to kill us_ she wondered.

The car turned off the freeway and onto an off ramp as Henry noted the turning, " bit of a long way around to a Dutch Hill, don't ya reckon?' Gloria stuffed the flyer into her pocket and looked out of the window. The car was weaving down the back streets, twisting and turning through the morning traffic as the rain fell and filled the drains. The red plymouth slowed by a set of lights and coasted up the deserted street, finally stopping across the road from an old diner, next to another gaudy looking car. Henry recognized the diner immediately, " Sis, i dont like this at all- i think this is where they meet or something" he slid down the leather, making himself watched as two men dress in long yellow rain coats climbed the stairs to the entrance and read the sign above the door:

**DIXIE PIG**

"what the heck did it bring us here for!" she asked, sliding down her own seat. Henry cursed," i sure as hell don't wanna find out- can you drive us away ?" Gloria tried the gas pedal but the car switched itself off. She then tried the key, but as soon as she did- the car horn went off, and the two men climbing the stairs looked around. " Shit!" cursed Henry as he ducked down, not realizing that the windows were tinted, hiding him from their gaze. Gloria watched as the men nodded to the car, and continued up to the entrance, their hairy faces protruded from the upturned collars, and she gasped.

" what the hell did you do that for?" Henry asked. "I didn't…it was the car. I think it wants us to check this place out Henry" She replied, watching the dog men disappear inside.

" NO FUCKIN WAY SIS' !" Henry growled, through his teeth, as both the doors unlocked and swung open.


	48. 4:That's all folks

So, you made it - thanks for reading. be pleased to know ,silent viewer, that you are the sole proof reader to this story. I checked the stats and followed your viewing each day hoping you'd Reveal yourself. USA - 1 viewer 70 times .alas to no avail.

For Me, that's all I got, so I just wanted to say thanks again, and see ya'

ill be working on this story this year, and posting It on my main blog - darktowerjunky Wordpress - if your interested.

All the best , gregg


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